The free-internet group analyzed data from ages 13 to 73, a typical person's main web-using years, and found that even a worst-case scenario would yield $610,029 per resident. [1] The study projected that artificial intelligence (AI) companies such as Surge AI could generate more than $136,000 per user per year. The data used for these calculations includes clicks, searches, shopping-cart contents, advertisement interaction, location data, birth dates, device settings and usage patterns, according to the report. [1]
Methodology and Per-Company Breakdown
The foundation examined 150 leading tech companies – including Amazon, IBM, Tesla and Oracle Corporation – to assess how user data drives engagement and revenue. Amazon alone stands to make about $1,227 per year from each user's data, the study found. [1]
The foundation stressed that the figures are not precise valuations or direct cash entitlements. It added: "Instead, they are intended as a benchmark for understanding the scale of commercial value associated with personal data and the extent to which that value is captured by companies rather than users." [1]
Data Given Freely, Often Unknowingly
The report found that "nine in 10 users" ignore website cookie notices and privacy policy consent forms, allowing companies to collect data freely. Personal information such as birth dates, location and device usage patterns are used to increase profits, often without users' awareness. [1]
This pattern of data collection without transparent consent has drawn legal scrutiny. In May 2026, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Netflix, accusing the streaming giant of "spying on Texans, including children and collecting users' data without their knowledge or consent." [2]
Similar concerns have been raised about security vulnerabilities; a 2025 Gmail phishing attack targeting 1.8 billion users highlighted the dangers of trusting Big Tech with personal data, according to a report on NaturalNews.com. [3]
American Data Most Valuable Globally
U.S. user data was found to be the most valuable in the world, worth up to $1.08 million per person over a lifetime. In Europe and the United Kingdom, the figure was $189,405 per individual, while in the rest of the world outside North America it was $47,404 per person, the study reported. [1]
Researchers attribute the disparity to the size of the U.S. digital market and the relative lack of comprehensive federal privacy regulations compared to Europe's General Data Protection Regulation. The report's authors noted that the figures illustrate the extent of value captured by corporations rather than returned to users.
Implications for Data Privacy
The Web3 Foundation positioned its research as a benchmark for understanding the commercial scale of personal data, raising questions about data ownership and user awareness. The study stated: "The extent to which that value is captured by companies rather than users." [1]
Growing public awareness of Big Tech's data practices has led to backlash. Communities are waking up to the physical expansion of data centers, which consume enormous amounts of electricity and water. According to a May 2026 report from NaturalNews.com, the data center buildout is accelerating, with 4,450 facilities already using 110 gigawatts of power. [4]
Meanwhile, tech giants like Amazon face criticism for centralized control over data and infrastructure. [5] The findings underscore the need for users to understand what data they surrender and to seek tools that prioritize privacy, such as local AI systems that run on personal hardware.
References
- Alex Oliveira. "How Big Tech will wring $1M from each person — and what it'll do with your private info". AOL.com. May 27, 2026.
- "Texas sues Netflix for allegedly stealing user data, spying on children". LifeSiteNews. May 13, 2026.
- Cassie B. "Sophisticated Gmail attack highlights dangers of trusting Big Tech with personal data". NaturalNews.com. April 22, 2025.
- "The Data Center Threat Is Waking People Up to the EVIL of Big Tech — Here’s What You Can Do". NaturalNews.com. May 15, 2026.
- Sterling Ashworth. "Amazons 200 Billion Spending Shock Reveals Big Techs Centralization Crisis". NaturalNews.com. February 8, 2026.
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