Ad blocking is no more theft than is blocking crypto miners or a virus turning your computer into a botnet member. This particular form of malware is common, but it's still malware attempting to hijack my computer to do things I did not authorize.
Would you support websites using your GPU to mine crypto coins? It's a more direct form of payment that doesn't create editorial conflicts or involve spying. Even if you're on battery, energy is just the price being charged. Or would you see it as them using your computer without your consent and taking advantage of the horrible security model of the web?
Ad- and spyware should be recognized as what they are: malware. Distributing malware and using someone else's computer for unauthorized purposes is a crime. Doing it to 10 or more computers is a felony. It also gets used to destroy markets by dumping free products onto them. The whole model should be illegal.
Would you support websites using your GPU to mine crypto coins? It's a more direct form of payment that doesn't create editorial conflicts or involve spying. Even if you're on battery, energy is just the price being charged. Or would you see it as them using your computer without your consent and taking advantage of the horrible security model of the web?
Ad- and spyware should be recognized as what they are: malware. Distributing malware and using someone else's computer for unauthorized purposes is a crime. Doing it to 10 or more computers is a felony. It also gets used to destroy markets by dumping free products onto them. The whole model should be illegal.