this post was submitted on 29 Apr 2026
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Google has a price for you. We found it. (proton.me)
submitted 19 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) by Deep@mander.xyz to c/technology@lemmy.world
143 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

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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[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 1 points 21 minutes 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.

[–] InFerNo@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

High-value, low-value

😑

[–] SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 2 points 44 minutes ago

Google is a femcel

[–] Evotech@lemmy.world 29 points 3 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 6 points 1 hour ago (2 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 1 points 11 minutes ago

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.

[–] Jo4ted@lemmy.zip 1 points 53 minutes ago

I'm already looking into it lol. From this point on, every device I purchase needs to run Linux.

[–] MithranArkanere@lemmy.world 6 points 2 hours ago

And the assholes only give me back like 2 bucks.

Tax them and turn that into a UBI.

[–] Epzillon@lemmy.world 44 points 4 hours ago (2 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 :)

[–] reksas@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

it doesnt function with other adblockers though :(

[–] PearOfJudes@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 hour ago

It is a ublock fork, the best adblocker on desktop.

[–] vogi@piefed.social 12 points 4 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 7 points 2 hours ago (1 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 3 points 2 hours ago

Oh wait, i forgot i was stupid 😭

[–] KatherinaReichelt@feddit.org 25 points 6 hours ago (1 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.

[–] BlackLaZoR@lemmy.world 6 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

It's just Americans. Very vulnerable to suggestions and very wealthy at the same time.

[–] CaptainSpaceman@lemmy.world 1 points 1 minute ago

"Wealthy"

[–] FlyingCircus@lemmy.world 4 points 2 hours ago

Everyone is susceptible to advertising — the principles rely on fundamental human psychology, just the same as propaganda. However, Americans simultaneously are served more ads in their day-to-day than most other places, and also have a captured education system that is designed to create more unthinking consumers.

[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 45 points 8 hours ago (7 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 8 points 2 hours ago

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

[–] hansolo@lemmy.today 3 points 2 hours ago

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.

[–] Epzillon@lemmy.world 7 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 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.

[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago (1 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.

[–] baahb@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 15 minutes ago* (last edited 15 minutes ago)

Why wait? I moves with you!

[–] Squizzy@lemmy.world 11 points 6 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?

[–] vinyl@lemmy.world 1 points 45 minutes ago

I only drive to my work and back, no where else do I actually drive because I'm an introvert

[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 9 points 6 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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[–] alice_gosta_de_doces@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 4 hours ago

wow…

[–] arc99@lemmy.world 12 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

I expect my price is through the floor. Living in Ireland with ad blocker enabled and Google set to disable ad tracking and personalized ad delivery. Even when I use their YouTube app and am compelled to see ads, many of them are bottom of the barrel garbage for pay to win games / casinos and outright scams because Google can't match a more lucrative campaign against me.

It's funny because I also listen to podcasts on Spotify and the podcasts are so bereft of matching campaigns the ad break starts and stops almost instantly. The only one that doesn't is Behind the Bastards which repeatedly inflicts 2 minutes of plugs for other Cool Zone Media podcasts that I'm habituated to auto skip through.

[–] architect@thelemmy.club 2 points 2 hours ago

Fuck I’m getting rolex ads and nice vacations lately.

From the looks of it I do a lot of “high value” searches and I’m perpetually online due to work. I bet they fucking love me.

[–] osanna@lemmy.vg 47 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (1 children)

I've made it as hard as i can to track me. And I will continue to do so. Fuck advertisers.

[–] FatVegan@leminal.space 12 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

At this point it has become my hobby

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