This is true. Maybe the deal just needs to be negotiated in a more formalized way. I kind of like how Brave handles the problem, where the browser itself shows

This is true. Maybe the deal just needs to be negotiated in a more formalized way. I kind of like how Brave handles the problem, where the browser itself shows you ads (in a much less obtrusive and more privacy-preserving way than how sites do it) and then distributes the resulting funds to the sites you visit. If advertising were structured that way, instead of how it is now where sites will serve up ads and get aggressive if your client chooses not to display them, then you could retain advertising as an option for those who want it while also allowing alternative payment methods for those who would prefer that, and preserving end user control over the software running on their machine.