They're not gaining out of thin air. They're making a commission on how much they are saving for the advertisers (and hence the advertisees). They're creating immense value, of which, they are taking a small commission. If they were not creating immense value, the advertisers would have no need to use them. They would continue to make their businesses big enough to buy Superbowl ads (or equivalent).
> Taking away what exactly?
By blocking the ads, other people are paying for YOUR use of these services. It's the moral equivalent of not paying taxes, although it is not illegal... yet.
> Would be happy if you could explain where I got it wrong.
For example, you think this is how ad targeting by Facebook and Google works:
> in today's standards they only serve as a way to guess-timate person X bought toothpaste B because of ad campaign Z
And you think this is true:
> ads are not a game changer to consumer behavior.
It's a complete waste of time for me to debate with someone who thinks ads don't affect consumer behavior.