The partial data barter trades of the digital economy
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This article explores the concept of partial data barter in the digital economy, where firms provide consumers with goods or services in return for monetary payment and the harvesting of their usage data. It discusses the implications of partial data barter for measuring the size of the economy, assessing firm competition, and privacy regulations. The article argues that most firms are not stealing data but rather paying for it with price discounts. It suggests that policies should focus on differential privacy pricing and the terms of data trade rather than prohibiting data usage. The article also examines the value of free digital goods to consumers and the mismeasurement of GDP due to partial data barter. It concludes by discussing the costs and benefits of privacy policies and the need for regulations that allow for differential pricing based on privacy protection.

#DataBarter #DigitalEconomy #Privacy #PriceDiscounts #GdpMeasurement #PrivacyPolicies

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-partial-data-barter-trades-of-the-digital-economy/