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While a fair point, cost is not value. It is the lower bound of value.

It could be that targeted ads are creating $10 value per person but it only cost $1 per person, $9 of which goes to the advertiser/consumer.

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The idea of 9x extra hidden value lurking in the system is a nice concept but unlikely to be present. It's unlikely to be present on the advertiser side because if advertisers were actually reaping 10x the value of their digital ad costs, ad prices would rise significantly because advertisers would be willing to pay significantly more than they do today. The excess positive value is unlikely to be present on the consumer side because as already commented the consumer is reaping a huge net negative hidden value as a result of the ubiquitous tracking it drives.

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