Or you could use firefox and not see ads for free, AND communicate Google that what they're doing is unacceptable.

Google is an advertising company

from a recent Google SEC filing:

"New and existing technologies could affect our ability to customize ads and/or could block ads online, which would harm our business.

Technologies have been developed to make customizable ads more difficult or to block the display of ads altogether and some providers of online services have integrated technologies that could potentially impair the core functionality of third-party digital advertising. Most of our Google revenues are derived from fees paid to us in connection with the display of ads online. As a result, such technologies and tools could adversely affect our operating results."

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1652044/000165204419...

I personally use NetGuard which is free and open source. It works by setting up a vpn locally combined with a hosts file to send ad requests to a blackhole. This works on the Web and in apps. Follow this guide here: https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard/blob/master/ADBLOCKING.md

How trustworthy are they? I feel very iffy about sending my DNS queries to some random company in Moscow.

actually the Adguard for Mac can work the same as Adguard on Android... so even when Google removes adblockers you can still block on network level (though not as good of course).

What does AdGuard do that a host blocklist doesn't provide?