I'll go one step further in saying the discussion framed around clicks being interpreted as a product is incorrect altogether. I think user metadata is part of a users identity and the friction we run up against is whether it ought to be legally protected. It's currently not illegal to sit outside a restaurant and records information about all of its patrons. You'd certainly be in hot water if you tried to do that at any federal building. At some level we know collecting that data is wrong because it can be used against us. Even the judicial branch knows this and requires the storage of user data to be encrypted by security agencies. That's not conclusive proof but evidence of our general outlook on the legality of tracking people.
If we agree in a truly free society then collecting and monetizing metadata should be illegal. If we don't mind giving up that freedom then there's nothing wrong with companies creating a profile on you and tracking you no matter where you go and what you do. But the internet has spoken and we're gladly, albeit unknowingly, giving up any right of protection. I find it worrisome to think of what society will be like in another 50 years if nothing is done to curtail the fleecing of user data.
If we agree in a truly free society then collecting and monetizing metadata should be illegal. If we don't mind giving up that freedom then there's nothing wrong with companies creating a profile on you and tracking you no matter where you go and what you do. But the internet has spoken and we're gladly, albeit unknowingly, giving up any right of protection. I find it worrisome to think of what society will be like in another 50 years if nothing is done to curtail the fleecing of user data.