Comment

Well, this articles promotes Protons’ products a bit, but the info is interesting anyway.

Summary

The article discusses the value of your data to big tech companies, mainly focusing on Google and Facebook.

Key Points:

  • Facebook: Makes $42.34 per user globally, with US/Canada users valued much higher at $217.26. They recently offered an ad-free option for €9.99/month, suggesting a higher internal valuation.
  • Google: Earns around $47 per user globally from Search ads, but this varies greatly by region (US users generate $393).
  • Other Big Tech: Amazon, Apple, Microsoft also generate billions from ads.
  • Beyond ads: Data is sold in less obvious ways (ISPs, car companies, grocery stores). Black market prices exist for stolen data (credit cards, etc.).
  • Total value: Hundreds of dollars per year are extracted from each user by various companies.
  • Privacy concerns: The article questions the ethical implications of big tech profiting from user data without informed consent. It emphasizes the importance of privacy and using encrypted services like Proton to protect your data.

Overall, the article urges readers to be aware of the value of their data and take steps to protect it from exploitation.