# Report: Big Tech Earns $1M From User Data

**Published:** 2026-05-25T13:30:00.000Z  
**Topic:** Web3  
**Sentiment:** neutral  
**Publisher:** TrendWatcher — https://www.trendwatcher.in/article/599fdef8-e875-48fa-933e-f7ad358e3223

A new Web3 Foundation report claims tech giants could generate up to $1.08 million in lifetime value from the data of each U.S. internet user.

A new report from the Web3 Foundation suggests that major technology companies could generate more than $1 million in lifetime revenue from the online data of every American internet user [1]. The study claims that artificial intelligence firms stand to reap significantly higher annual returns from this personal information compared to traditional tech giants [1].

**Key takeaways**
*   Tech companies may net up to $1.08 million per U.S. resident over 60 years of web usage [1].
*   AI companies could earn over $136,000 yearly per resident, far surpassing the $18,000 annual average for general tech firms [1].
*   American users are the most valuable globally, with European users worth about $189,405 and the rest of the world worth $47,404 over a lifetime [1].
*   The Web3 Foundation clarifies these figures are benchmarks for understanding commercial scale, not direct cash entitlements for individuals [1].

## Projecting lifetime revenue from user data

The Web3 Foundation analyzed 150 leading tech companies, including Amazon, IBM, Tesla, and Oracle, to determine how user data drives engagement and revenue [1]. By tracking data points such as clicks, searches, shopping cart contents, advertisement interactions, and personal details like location and birth dates, the group projected that businesses could net up to $1.08 million per U.S. resident from ages 13 to 73 [1]. Even in a worst-case scenario, the report estimates tech firms could garner $610,029 from each resident’s online use [1]. The report highlights that Amazon alone stands to make approximately $1,227 per year from its users’ data [1].

## The AI premium and global data value

While the top figures equate to nearly $18,000 per person annually for general tech companies, the report claims that artificial intelligence firms like Surge AI could see that number jump to more than $136,000 per resident each year [1]. The study also found significant geographic disparities, noting that American internet users are the most valuable in the world [1]. In comparison, user data in Europe and the United Kingdom is worth about $189,405 per individual over a lifetime, while data from the rest of the world is valued at approximately $47,404 per person [1]. The report adds that this data is often given freely but unknowingly, with nine in ten users ignoring website cookie notices and privacy policy consent forms [1].

## Why it matters

These findings illustrate the immense scale of commercial value derived from personal information and the extent to which that value is currently captured by companies rather than

## Sources
1. AOL — [How Big Tech will wring $1M from each person — and what it’ll do with your private info](https://www.aol.com/articles/big-tech-wring-1m-person-113000000.html)
2. A16z — [Big Ideas in Tech for 2025 | Andreessen Horowitz](https://a16z.com/big-ideas-in-tech-2025/)

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Cite as: TrendWatcher, "Report: Big Tech Earns $1M From User Data", https://www.trendwatcher.in/article/599fdef8-e875-48fa-933e-f7ad358e3223