"I want to say that Google is unethical and ads are evil, but I've never actually worked on ads and actually don't know what data means in this context"
Also, would you morally expect your doctor to disclose that they're on the payroll of the company that develops the medications you've been prescribed to take? Regardless of the answer, disclosure here isn't about whether or not a doctor is capable of their own opinion, or whether or not they are speaking in any official capacity for other companies.
Ethical appearance is part of professional ethics.
Similarly, it doesn't matter if a judge is capable of independent opinion while having financial interests tied to the cases they preside over. The mere appearance of financial entanglement can stink up professional credibility. It would also be quite silly for a judge to respond with, "But I've only recently been receiving paychecks. I hardly know anyone at the company."
Is it really so hard to believe that some people don't agree with you on this point because they've seen different evidence than you have?
I'm just pointing out that we all have our biases. As somebody who understands how targeted advertising works from the "inside" I see a lot of commentary that is factually inaccurate and conceptually off base.
Do you think the fact that no one on the "outside" knows how it works may be the reason for that? Also, do you think that if we did know how it works from the inside that we would agree with you?