I think there are simply engineers that are fine with the current state of things. You mention specifically "come up with a new way of making money"; however, for extrinsically motivated people, why reinvent the wheel? Problem solving can mean thinking up a solution or implementing a solution.

In the same vein, there may be engineers that enjoy working on this type of problem - how to identify someone that is actively avoiding you. The current iteration of Do Not Track mentality only makes the problem more interesting by putting up restrictions.