In today's economy, the cost of everything is going up. Groceries, gasoline, electronics, everything costs most. So how is it that you can still utilize services like Gmail and Facebook at no charge? The reason is, you aren't paying with your wallet, you're paying with your data.
Big Tech companies mine your data for the purpose of tailoring advertisements to your tastes and preferences, making it more likely for you to purchase those goods and services, and to sell your data to third party data brokers.
Why free isn't free
First, it was the Gold Rush. Then the Big Oil boom. Now, Big Data has taken centre stage as the precious commodity to big business. While it's hard to put an exact price on your data, in this analysis by Proton it is estimated that to Google and Facebook alone, each American using their services generates approximately $700 annually for those two companies.
Big Tech Advertising Revenue in 2024 (approximate)
- Alphabet (Google): $264 billion
- Meta (Facebook & Instagram): $162 billion
- Amazon: $56 billion
- Microsoft: $14 billion
- Apple: $7 billion
49% of Google's advertising revenue in 2024 came from the United States.
How your data is being used
Google collects user data in various forms, including:
- Search queries
- Browsing activity
- Location signals
- Cookie identifiers
- Activity on third-party websites using Google advertising tools
- Email content in Gmail
- Videos watched on Youtube
Google states that they "never sell your personal information to anyone". They claim that they instead aggregate users into interest-based groups. These groups allow advertisers to then target individuals in those groups without accessing individually identifiable information.
Have you ever done a search on an item, and suddenly all you see are ads for that type of product? Here's why.
This data collection feeds a targeted adverising engine, which feeds a user highly relevant ads based on some of the following factors:
- Websites visited
- Products searched for
- Demographic and behaviour patterns
- Geographic location
By pulling together this information, Google assembles an advertising portfolio on you designed to get you to spend money with their advertisers. And those advertisers pay Google big dollars for that service.
The DeGoogle movement
DeGoogling refers to the process of reducing or removing the reliance on Google's products in your digital life. This makes it much harder for companies to track your activities and movements, and gives you more control over your privacy.
There are various ways DeGoogling can be accomplished. Some examples include:
- Replacing Google productivity apps with alternatives like Proton.
- Use browsers such as FireFox or DuckDuckGo instead of Chrome.
- Explore alternatives to stock Android operating systems like AphyOS.
- Consider a privacy-focused smartphone such as the Punkt MC03.
Is "free" worth it to you?
When considering the hidden cost of utilizing free services like Google's, you have to ask yourself if exposing your activities and habits is worth the conveniences offered as enticement.
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