Every click of yours is worth a fortune: Tech giants can earn 245,000 euros per user

Such data were traditionally collected through technologies such as cookies and used for targeted advertising, and recently they are increasingly used for the development of artificial intelligence systems and for training models, the report states.

The foundation estimates that every internet user in the UK and Europe generates up to £194,000 in commercial value for companies during their digital ‘žlifetime’, when inflation is taken into account.

The estimate does not represent the amount that the individual directly brings to the companies butć illustrates the extent to which the digital economy relies on user data, the authors of the analysis note.

Users should be aware that their data is being used and recycled by a number of organizations, warned Web3 Foundation Vice President of Technical Operations Bill Laboon.

Many of them are not even aware that data generated using artificial intelligence tools, for example by asking questions to chatbots or accepting suggestions for text correction, can also be used for further training of the system, adds Laboon.

According to the report, tech giants such as Amazon, Alphabet, Anthropic, Microsoft and Meta can earn up to £1,000 per internet user per year.

User data has become a key resource for the development of artificial intelligence, and the need for a more transparent Internet model that will guarantee users greater control over their data is increasingly emerging, according to the Web3 Foundation.

American manufacturer Chip’s Nvidia was the first to reach a market value of five billion dollars last year thanks to cooperation with companies such as OpenAI and Oracle. Microsoft and Apple have recently exceeded the market value of four billion dollars, the dpa agency notes.