Lots of appliances doesn't need to be smart, I agree, there are plenty borderline where I think there is some benifit, bulbs for example, I think things should be a lot more local, it's a shame people use cloud solutions instead of home assistant or how much telemetry these smart appliances are allowed to get.

Eh, I would say just ban all paid advertisements like ones you're describing. Want to advertise your product? Send it over to some state-run hub, which then randomly distributes it to professional reviewers. They then publish their findings, and if your product is good and people are looking for your product category, they will find you.

Get rid of stupid ads where the only reason they are shown to you is because someone is paid to stuff it in your face. Ads should be something you actively seek out, not something being shoved in your face.