Big Tech firms have built entire business empires by harvesting users’ personal data from online activity, app permissions and social interactions. Every click, purchase and post becomes a fragment of “digital protein” — a raw material for profit and technological dominance.

This data is processed to serve targeted ads, customize content, and refine artificial intelligence models with very limited oversight or transparency for those providing the information. The rapid growth of this data-driven economy has outpaced both user awareness and international regulations. Individuals rarely grasp how much data is collected or how it circulates between corporations and third parties. Regulators worldwide debate new digital taxes and stricter privacy standards, but Big Tech’s influence means progress is slow and inconsistent.

The outcome sees users left exposed to indefinite data exploitation, while tech giants sustain their advantage in wealth, influence and power, often at the direct expense of digital autonomy and privacy.