politics
Study Estimates Tech Firms Earn $1.08 Million per U.S. User from Data
A report by the Web3 Foundation estimates that companies tracking online activity could generate up to $1.08 million per American resident over roughly 60 years. The study examined data practices at 150 firms and compared lifetime values across regions.
May 27, 7:30 AM·1m read1 source
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U.S. resident over a span of about 60 years, from ages 13 to 73. The same analysis placed the lowest scenario at $610,029 per person. The top figure equals roughly $18,000 per person annually. For artificial-intelligence companies, the report projected a potential annual value exceeding $136,000 per resident.
The study reviewed how 150 leading technology companies, including Amazon, IBM, Tesla, and Oracle Corporation, collect and monetize user information. Data points examined included clicks, searches, shopping-cart contents, advertisement interactions, location details, birth dates, device settings, and usage patterns.
Amazon alone was estimated to generate about $1,227 per user each year from such data, according to the Web3 Foundation.
The report noted that nine in ten users ignore website cookie notices and privacy policy consent forms. It stated that the figures are benchmarks for understanding commercial value rather than precise valuations or direct payments owed to individuals.
American internet users were found to be the most valuable globally. The report placed lifetime data value at about $189,405 per person in Europe and the United Kingdom, and about $47,404 per person in the rest of the world outside North America.
