> No, the illegal-ness doesn't come from the clicking, it comes from the fact you're clicking with the intention of defrauding someone. That's also why filling out a credit card application isn't illegal, but filling out the same credit card application with phony details is.

You might technically be right. But I'd recommend contacting EFF, if, somehow, installing AdNauseam brings you into legal trouble.

On the realm of search engines and ad networks I love to remind people that Google took out "don't be evil" from their motto and pressured anyone within US jurisdiction to remove Page and Brin's appendix #8 (at the least it's removed from their original school of Stanford).

8 Appendix A: Advertising and Mixed Motives https://www.site.uottawa.ca/~stan/csi5389/readings/google.pd...

The intent isn’t to defraud. The intent is to curb their uninvited data collection and anti-utility influence on the internet.

You’re not defrauding anyone if you have your extension click all ads in the background and make a personalized list for you that you can choose to review.

The intent is convenience and privacy, not fraud.

Even one of the users here above mentions the malicious intent:

> I hate advertisers so I'm gonna get back at them by making them pay more.

What if someone unironically wants to automatically click all the ads to support the websites they visit

> it comes from the fact you're clicking with the intention of defrauding someone.

You're defrauding nobody. People purchase visibility and clicks when they purchase advertising. not conversions or sales.