It’s more of a long term strategy to reign in control of how people “consume” the internet. Google wants an ad on your desktop. They want your browser to stop, just like YouTube videos, to show you a brief 20s ad spot.
They are embolden now because they have amassed a massive user base with Chrome and all its ill gotten derivatives. And the EU eyeballing big tech is likely putting a fire under their ass.
And yes, when ad revenue drops, that tends to focus an ad company. With that said, they have only been increasing ad spots and their length over recent years and that has not had the impact from your data. So…
But yeah, all these companies are just working tireless to as many put locks on the net as possible to force you into more subscriptions, which are what companies are all about. Passive incoming has always been absolute gold.