When payment processors started taking internet seriously, it became a professional space, not a hobbyist one.
Google has made a big contribution to that with adsense.
And of course, when there is money involved, there is always corruption and manipulation.
That said, Internet, has always been a military technology. People think their data is being sold etc. But direct access to your brain via exposure is much more valuable than your data.
2001 and onwards, in short.