I think there's lots of internet browsing data dubiously collected (through tracking cookies, etc) that can be purchased on the market. The only way to escape this, if you've put yourself in a vulnerable position by having cookies in the first place, is to always use incognito mode. I probably should have done that on EJMR. Certainly I'm doing it from now on.
Assuming this is what Ederer & co are doing, I suspect there will be some pushback. Essentially they're using technology that most people are not aware of, and that is primarily used to target online ads, to commit a massive privacy violation on their fellow economists. The fact that this is possible using third-party data for purchase does not really make it any better.
Actually, maybe there will not be pushback right away, because everyone will be too scared about what Ederer & co have on them. But certainly if this is what they are doing, they have cemented their status in my mind as irresponsible actors.
Fair point. Florian Edered should not be feeling SAIF :P.