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Google has a price for you. We found it. (proton.me)
submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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The Price of Free Google Report.

Proton analyzed over 54,000 demographic profiles using 2025 ad auction data to estimate what advertisers pay to reach different types of Americans. The range is much wider than you might expect.

The average American generates about $1,605 a year in advertising value. A 35- to 44-year-old man in Bozeman, MT, without children, using a desktop and making high-value corporate searches, generates an estimated $17,929.30. An 18- to 24-year-old father in Fort Smith, AR, using an Android phone and making low-value searches, generates $31.05.

That’s a 577x difference between two people using the same free service.

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[–] 77 points 4 months ago (16 children)

Well let's see...

  • I've used Firefox with uBlock Origins pretty much as soon as uBlock Origins came out. I'm now using Librewolf.
  • Im using a YouTube extention that automatically skips sponsers and adreads.
  • I don't use Google for my searches. Haven't for over 10 years.
  • I use Spotify on my PC, with the Bash Spot X patch.
  • My OS is also Linux, so no built-in ads.
  • On my phone I have AdAway installed.
  • I patched my YouTube app with ReVanced Manager, giving me block against ads, sponsers, and adreads.
  • I don't use Spotify on my phone, instead opting to download music I bought from artists (typically Bandcam) or get through Soulseek.
  • I use Firefox on my phone too, with uBlock Origins. Did that for nearly as long as my PC.
  • I also don't use Google for my searches there.

I'm very curious about what my value to Google is, considering all that.

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  • [–] 19 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Your location data. You help with traffic notifications, harveating of networks in relation to your location. Even if you dont use maps.

    What is bash x spot?

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  • [–] 13 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (4 children)

    Basically same,

    • Linux and Graphene
    • IronFox/Zen Browser with Adnauseam, Sponsorblock, DeArrow and ClearURLs
    • Mullvad VPN with AdBlock (off because of Adnauseam).
    • GrayJay instead of YouTube.
    • SimpMusic + Locally downloaded songs for music.
    • Local media server for movies

    Only places i have yet to tighten privacy (AFAIK) is email and chats (did make a burner acc on Discord and deleted the old one though). I dont use social media apart from the fediverse. All those accounts are deleted.

    Update:

    I do use K9 Mail and Thunderbird for email clients and F-droid and Aurora Store as an app store replacement.

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    I want to set up a Jellyfin local media server. As soon as I get my own apartment I'm going to take a serious crack at hosting my own home server for a lot of my needs.

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago

    Im running Jellyfin myself. Still havent ported it to my server tho, just running off a disk in my main PC. Whenever i get more storage on the server or just a proper one (currently just running an old laptop w like 500GB storage) I will try to move all of my socker containers and movies there.

    I would want to write some kind of roadmap and define all the cloud based services id need, like NextCloud and other stuff id want available remotely, but that would be done tinkering since id have to configure a VPN for it 😬

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  • [–] 7 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Since Feb 2025 Google started using browser fingerprinting to track users. While you don't see the ads, they're still building a profile on you.

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago* (2 children)

    Also, Ironfox and Cromite are awesome too!

    Hopefully Ironfox and Librewolf both replace Firefox itself overtime somehow (Since Firefox new leadership has been enshittifying it), maybe Cromite can do same for Chromium too

    What do you recommend for searches?

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