Data collection existed in the US, and probably most major markets, a century ago, it's just that then it was primarily keyed on mailing address instead of telephone number. Legislators are never going to do anything about it unless absolutely forced to, because they rely on targeted campaigns themselves.

(and if you're in the US, it gets worse. When I lived in California, I asked my letter carrier if I could put a "no junk mail please" sign on the box like we do here. I was told to please not call it junk mail, but "bulk mail", as it provides a significant fraction of their funding.)

Anyone up for a game of 35 questions?

Edit: https://www.msp-pgh.com/history-direct-mail-marketing/

> The American Anti-Slavery Society printed and mailed marketing materials to religious and civic leaders in the south in 1835. This is likely the first direct mail campaign. They created a mailing list from names in newspapers and city directories, among other public lists.

the poorly-targeted campaign was not well-received: https://postalmuseum.si.edu/node/1912