Gregory's Server@s_hentzschel @kapsiR @mcc what I described is exactly how print advertising worked. Car and car parts companies advertised in car magazines, beauty companies advertised in beauty magazines, and advertisers had no way to track readers.
A couple of online news sites do the same thing and found working directly with relevant advertisers in their country was more profitable than outsourcing to Google.
"Advertising needs to track users" is a line used by tracking companies to convince their customers (advertisers) not to go elsewhere, and to embrace the dashboards that make it look as though conversion is a science that can be tested and refined, but completely misses context.
And let's not forget the number of times Meta, Google and others have outright lied about engagement to encourage, variously, video content, highly opaque political campaigns, AMP and performance benefits, promotion of far right and other hateful content, promotion of paid content over organic, and several other anti-competitive and anti-consumer initiatives
@craignicol @kapsiR @mcc Comparing print and web doesn't make any sense at all. And it doesn't make sense to have this discussion if you don't understand how online advertising works. I am out of this discussion. Someone who does not have a basic understanding cannot be reached with arguments.