A report published by Web3 Foundation estimates large technology and artificial intelligence companies can generate up to $162,492 in inflation-linked commercial value from the data of a single internet user over a “digital lifetime”. Across an estimated 6 billion internet users, the report’s upper-bound lifetime estimate totals around $745 trillion, based on a 60- to 61-year period.
The report, titled The Hidden Price of Free: What Your Data Is Really Worth, assessed 129 companies it classified as “Big Data” firms, drawn from a screened pool of 150 organisations based on Forbes Global 2000 2025 and Forbes AI 50 2026. It identifies Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta and Anthropic as among the most significant beneficiaries of data capture.
Using a benchmark it calls Personal Data Annual Value (PDAV), the study estimates companies earn up to $908 per internet user per year globally, with regional differences in the expansive scenario of up to $8,531 per year in the United States, up to $2,206 per year in the United Kingdom and Europe, and up to $407 per year in the rest of the world.
Over a 61-year “digital lifetime”, the report’s expansive estimates are $511,869 for a US user, $132,387 for a UK and Europe user, $24,424 for users in the rest of the world, and $54,499 globally. When inflation-linked, the expansive estimates rise to $1.08m for the US, $260,542 for the UK and Europe, $72,821 for the rest of the world, and $162,492 globally.
The report argues these figures are intended as benchmarks rather than precise valuations or direct financial entitlements for individuals. It says the modern internet is “paid for” through personal data including searches, location signals, purchases, messages, images, preferences and behavioural information, which are collected and monetised by major companies.
Web3 Foundation says its approach differs from prior attempts to estimate personal data value that focus on advertising revenue per active user. Its methodology also considers AI subscriptions, enterprise licensing, API access, data brokerage, marketplaces, recommendation systems and AI-driven cost savings, aiming to capture commercial value from both traditional platforms and emerging AI firms.
The report links the issue to the growth of AI, arguing personal data is increasingly used not only for advertising but also to train models and build behavioural profiles. It states that as AI systems become more capable, human-origin data becomes more valuable while users have limited visibility or control over how value is captured.
It also argues that decentralised technologies associated with Web3 could offer users greater control over identity and data-sharing terms, potentially shifting power away from centralised platforms.
“For too long, the internet has operated on an implicit bargain that users do not fully understand: convenience in exchange for surveillance,” Gavin Wood, founder of Web3 Foundation, said in a statement.
“The internet does not have to work this way,” Bill Laboon, vice president of technical operations at Web3 Foundation, said.
You can read the full report :
