What you've described there, and I haven't seen that document, sounds horrible and scary. The process of advertisers trying to influence people is what advertisers do.
If, for example, you're a car company, you might realize that for your particular car, it's males, perhaps, who buy it more often. You'll create advertising that will appeal to those males who might want to buy your car. Some car companies have done research to show that they need to raise their prices and make their vehicle look more exclusive than others; that's manipulation as well. To the point in terms of specific, individual, personalities, I don't know of a way online in which you can target an individual specifically for advertising. You have to target large groups.