I attended the EDPB event on #PayorOkay models and left deeply concerned. The discussion lacked acknowledgment of data protection as a fundamental right and ignored clear GDPR principles making the model unlawful. Instead, it conflated ads with core services, sidelining fairness and rights. Surveillance ads harm individuals and society, yet their ‘value’ is overstated. We must reclaim the debate: data protection is key to human dignity and a rights-respecting digital future.