This is where I’m at as well. I prefer targeted ads and have discovered a lot of things I wouldn’t have otherwise. For me it’s not that I’m lazy, but when you’re specifically asked if you want to be tracked there’s an innate sense of danger that arises and your brain tells you to say “no”

The thing with targeted ads is that you don't discover the thing, the thing discovers you.

I'd argue theres good reason your brain is raising red flags when you are asked if you want to allow these manipulative processes to continue.

Some focus only on the upside, more relevant ads, some only on the downside, lost privacy. How do you balance the two?

I never had any significant issues taking over my privacy to corporations, so that does not really bother me. I know that this kind of data in corporations is guarded good enough so leaks are unlikely. I know that those corporations won't cooperate with my government, so that's a non-issue for me as well (might be an issue for US citizens, I guess). So the whole privacy debate looks to me strange, that's not the things that bother me in my life. But that's just my PoV.

> I know that this kind of data in corporations is guarded good enough so leaks are unlikely.

With due respect, and you are completely entitled to your preferences, leaks are very common and a big problem, often reported on HN.

I'm talking about big corporations. I don't remember any leaks from Google or Apple. I do remember one recent leak from Facebook which is very unfortunate, but that was not about collected privacy data, AFAIK, just some accounts.

I don't see more relevant ads as an upside. I'd rather see totally irrelevant ads since they're much less likely to have an impact on me. They can waste their effort trying to manipulate me to spend unnecessarily on things I'll never buy.