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Legislation can be surprisingly efficient, even if not 100% efficient.

There's a borough in my city that decided to ban big billboards. Everyone hated them, they were ugly and everywhere. The advertising lobby sued, it went all the way to the supreme court of Canada, and the city won: advertising was declared a form of visual pollution and therefore banning them was an acceptable infringement to free speech (https://www.scc-csc.ca/case-dossier/info/sum-som-eng.aspx?ca...).

Another example is forcing influencers to disclose when content is sponsored (and apply local advertising laws). If influencers receive money, they are therefore freelancers (in most jurisdictions) and subject to many laws. I have seen them enforced in my jurisdiction.



You can also sidestep 90% of the advertising problem without infringing on actual speech by doing something like saying that "billboard-like things on a property can only be erected by the property owner, and cannot receive remuneration for said erection".

Then the local guy can print "SHERIFF JOE SUCKS" on his fence without repercussions but large billboards are mostly banned.

You still have the gas station sign issue, but that's separate.




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