HN user
If you ask somebody if they want personalized ads, of course they say no. That sounds creepy.
But in reality, those ads work, which means that people are more likely to make a voluntary economic transaction after seeing them than they would be in the base condition.
So this comes down to: do we believe what people say... or what they do?
What country do you live in where it is impossible to make a mistake and then get societal help to recover?
Truly the US hasn't been the same since the government paid off all overly large student loans, irresponsibly spent credit card balances, desperately sought payday loans, and other avoidable, life-destroying debt. And since all of that debt has been canceled, I'm looking for a more responsible place to live.
I'm just glad that US banks don't allow truly predatory acts, such as the use of a pension as the down payment for a house, so that a borrower who defaults loses far more than their home. That sort of behavior is legal in some uncivilized regimes because it allows lenders to make bad loans without suffering any negative recourse; but fortunately it is not legal in the US.