this post was submitted on 29 Apr 2026
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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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[–] arcine@jlai.lu 8 points 7 hours ago

I wonder how much money people have wasted buying my data. I have ad blockers everywhere, I never see a single ad or sponsored message, if their system actually works it should be marked worthless.

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 15 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

You can't generate ad revenue from me if I have ad blockers.

[–] uenticx@lemmy.world 9 points 9 hours ago

Until you log into gmail and give them a fingerprint to share around. They still track you unfortunately.

[–] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 6 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Then how do you support our corporate overloads?

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 3 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

They'll just have to eat the money they already have.

[–] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 5 points 10 hours ago

Let them eat cash,

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 5 points 9 hours ago

Im priceless. Or worthless.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 20 points 14 hours ago

The top 10% of profiles: heavy desktop users — generate 43% of all advertiser value

Helps explain why Microsoft has started injecting ads into the OS so aggressively.

[–] Evotech@lemmy.world 50 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

You use an android because you like it

I use an android to drive advertising revenue down

We are not the same

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 14 points 15 hours ago (4 children)

I use an android because Apple has been insufferable about allowing users to run that they want to run and customize their phone how they want to customize their phone.

Google is now showing signs that they want to do the same.

I will move to a linux tablet, watch and a cellular wifi AP if I have to

[–] FG_3479@lemmy.world 8 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

You should try GrapheneOS. It has no Google crap installed by default, and if you install Play Services for apps that need it, it will be sandboxed so it can't track you or limit sideloading.

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Not far enough. Google if fucking with their appstore, they eventually want it to be a walled garden. If that happens, developers will be hard-pressed to release versions for both Google and aurora (or f-droid or whatever)

I want chat, I want a working camera, a working web browser and to be able to make and take calls. That's all doable from Linux today, the battery life just really sucks.

[–] FG_3479@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago

GrapheneOS supports F-droid and essentially all APK files. The built in camera and SMS apps work and so do most IM apps and web browsers.

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[–] SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago

Wild that one of the most desirable regions, Durham NC, is within 1 hr of one of the least, Greensboro NC.

[–] Epzillon@lemmy.world 56 points 18 hours ago (6 children)

This feels like a good post to mention AdNaueam! For anyone who wants an adblocker that helps more than just you! It basically blocks ads but also sends a click request to every ad that should have been loaded. The data being sent with this request contains spoofed garbage data that makes the tracking data sets lose value. It also keeps a funny metric on how much the estimated cost for your clicks is :)

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[–] flop_leash_973@lemmy.world 5 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

That might be what they pay Google to advertise to those groups. But do they manage to get that much profit out of those advertisements from those groups?

I know it is not true to say that "advertising doesn't work on me" but I wonder if the revenue the advertisers are getting out of that professional man in MT adds up to anywhere close to $17,929/yr worth of sales of their products/services.

[–] belochka@lemmy.world 5 points 11 hours ago

Some people might think it's nonsense to pay more to reach some group than it gives directly, but there might be a degree of diffusion such that it's not.

Suppose, that computer-savvy woman is the source of advice for her many friends after trying some things out or whatever.

Suppose, that professional man uses occasionally a free tool for their task, that seems to be "first page in Google", but is in fact the most familiar from 8 things listed on that first page.

Then they use it again or their coworkers or friends know that the tool exists. Then eventually they might buy it.

It's all probabilities, but those that spread.

Why did I even write this, it's obvious.

[–] InFerNo@lemmy.ml 16 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

High-value, low-value

😑

[–] SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 7 points 15 hours ago

Google is a femcel

[–] MithranArkanere@lemmy.world 13 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

And the assholes only give me back like 2 bucks.

Tax them and turn that into a UBI.

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[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 69 points 22 hours ago (8 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.

[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 29 points 16 hours ago

It's crazy that we have to go to that much effort just to have a reasonably pleasant online experience.

[–] Epzillon@lemmy.world 13 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (3 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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[–] hansolo@lemmy.today 7 points 16 hours ago (1 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.

[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Pretty sure they started that well before 2025.

[–] hansolo@lemmy.today 1 points 11 hours ago

They specifically waited until after the inauguration to avoid legal pushback. The Google "Code Yellow" started in 2019 that eventually found this as the final solution.

[–] Squizzy@lemmy.world 16 points 20 hours 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?

[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 15 points 20 hours ago

I got it reversed, it's spot x bash. But it's bash script that modifies the spotify client to remove all ads. Doesn't give you premium features, only removes ads. The script must also be run every time spotify updates.

Check it out.

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[–] KatherinaReichelt@feddit.org 35 points 21 hours ago (8 children)

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.

Just imagine how much people have to buy through ads to justify this amount of ad spending.

[–] jmill@lemmy.zip 1 points 10 hours ago

By corporate searches, I think they mean searches for work.

I don't spend much discretionary income on stuff I search, that amount of advertising/SEO would be almost entirely wasted on my personal life. But my work related searches are very different, products and services I use for work projects add up to much more than I make in a year. I mostly use DDG though, fuck Google.

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[–] vogi@piefed.social 14 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Don't wanna see you slacking doing low-value searches! Brb writing a a script generating some high-level net traffic, so they waste more money on me.

[–] hansolo@lemmy.today 12 points 16 hours ago (4 children)

That's not wasting money, that's literally generating money for them.

Buying local and obscuring your searches are how you starve the beast.

[–] vogi@piefed.social 7 points 16 hours ago

Oh wait, i forgot i was stupid 😭

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[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 160 points 1 day ago (12 children)

Imagine if humanity would spend all this energy and effort into things that would actually benefit humanity world wide. Medicine and medical personnel, food research and production, education, housing, care for the elderly....

Oh man, this world could be so nice...

[–] pathos@lemmy.ml 2 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

Are you saying Google search is not beneficial or Proton's price gauge report is not beneficial?

[–] Debs@lemmy.zip 13 points 17 hours ago

I think about this all the time. Tech company spends $19 billion more in ai, etc. Meanwhile, my local school system is firing teachers over a $500,000 shortfall.

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