I agree that automatically mining user data is much more scalable then building a relationship with aligned incentives, in which users would volunteer it to you

I agree that automatically mining user data is much more scalable then building a relationship with aligned incentives, in which users would volunteer it to you. My argument is that this is exactly the main reason for the mess on the web we are in now, and that the way forward is not doing more of the same thing that got us in this place, but doing the opposite, regardless of how hard and not scalable it is. Alas, we will at least try.