<![CDATA[DARA — The Participation Economy: The Week]]>https://www.daramag.com/s/the-weekhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mM6s!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd44bbcb7-6dc8-4d91-8426-8f6dc954c62e_584x566.pngDARA — The Participation Economy: The Weekhttps://www.daramag.com/s/the-weekSubstackSat, 07 Nov 2026 14:57:48 GMT<![CDATA[Who sets the price of your data?]]>https://www.daramag.com/p/dara-the-week-issue-1https://www.daramag.com/p/dara-the-week-issue-1Sat, 07 Nov 2026 11:37:52 GMT
DARA The Week, Issue 01, 7 November 2026. Cover story: The price of tapping accept, 25 billion dollars.

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WELCOME TO ISSUE 01

This is the first issue of DARA The Week. Every Saturday, we bring you the stories about your data that matter most: who uses it, who earns from it, and what you can do about it. Five minutes, no jargon.

DARA Redaksjonen

DARA uses AI to gather stories and write drafts. Every story is read, checked against its sources and approved by the editors before it is published.

IN THIS ISSUE

  • Cover story: the price of tapping “accept”

  • Notable numbers

  • Also this week: what you were worth to Meta, Samsung and your pulse, your DNA in a bankruptcy

  • Overheard

  • Try this week

  • Your turn

COVER STORY

The price of tapping “accept”: 25 billion dollars

The promise you got when you tapped “accept” on Facebook now has a price tag.

In September, a jury in Santa Fe found that Meta had misled users in New Mexico, among other things about who could access their data. The jury found 26 of 29 statements misleading. On 21 October, Judge Francis Mathew set the penalty at 25 billion dollars.

The case began after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, when data from up to 87 million Facebook users was harvested through a third-party app. State law allows up to 5,000 dollars per violation, and the jury counted over 43 million. The money goes to New Mexico’s schools.

Meta says it does not sell user data and plans to appeal. In 2019, the US Federal Trade Commission fined Meta 5 billion dollars. This penalty is five times larger, from a single state.

When broken privacy promises cost billions, perhaps they will be kept. What have the apps on your phone promised you?

Sources: News From The States, Datalawgy.

Notable numbers: 25 billion dollars, 57 dollars, 7 million
Sources: News From The States, Meta, California Department of Justice.

ALSO THIS WEEK

A smartphone next to a cup of coffee and a croissant on a bright tablecloth.
Photo: Theo Lonic / Unsplash

What were you worth to Meta last year?

About 57 dollars. That is Meta’s own figure for revenue per daily user across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger in 2025. Alone, you are worth a dinner out. Together, the users are the whole business model. What if we negotiated as a group?

Source: Meta Q4 2025.

A smartwatch with a white strap on a wrist, in bright light.
Photo: Sabina / Unsplash

Samsung asked for your pulse. Saying no came with a threat

In July, Samsung Health asked for consent to train AI on sleep, heart rate and medical data. If you said no, a warning said your health data would be deleted. After protests, Samsung backed down. A yes under threat is not a real choice.

Source: Malwarebytes.

A smiling family of four posing against a light wooden wall.
Photo: Subash Than / Unsplash

Your DNA can end up in a bankruptcy

When 23andMe went bankrupt in 2025, customers’ genetic data and spit samples were sold to a nonprofit led by the company’s own cofounder. California objected to the sale but lost in court. Now the state has agreed a 6 million dollar settlement over a 2023 data breach that hit nearly 7 million customers. A court must still approve it. Customers can still ask to have their data deleted. Your DNA also says something about your whole family, who never agreed to anything.

Source: California DOJ.

OVERHEARD

“The clearly intentional and systematic nature of Facebook’s repeated misstatements.”

Judge Francis Mathew, in his ruling ordering Meta to pay 25 billion dollars. News From The States

TRY THIS WEEK

Three small checks, five minutes

  1. Open the ad settings in Facebook or Instagram. Which choice did you make, and do you remember making it?

  2. Check which apps get data from your smartwatch or fitness app.

  3. Have you taken a DNA test? Look up how to delete your data and have the sample destroyed.

YOUR TURN

What would you have charged Meta for your data last year? Answer in the comments.

Know someone who should read this? Send it to one person. See you next Saturday.

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All our sources are collected in the DARA Source Library. Cover photo: Todd Jiang / Unsplash.

]]><![CDATA[DARA The Week: first issue on Saturday]]>https://www.daramag.com/p/the-week-first-issue-on-saturdayhttps://www.daramag.com/p/the-week-first-issue-on-saturdayThu, 05 Nov 2026 19:01:04 GMT
DARA The Week, week 45, 7 November 2026

On Saturday 7 November, the first issue of DARA The Week arrives. Once a week, in a few minutes, we look at who profits from your data, and what you can do about it.

This week on DARA:

Saturday’s issue brings the story of the week, the week’s numbers and three small things you can check yourself. Subscribe to get it in your inbox.

Norsk

Lørdag 7. november kommer første utgave av DARA The Week. Én gang i uka, på noen få minutter, ser vi på hvem som tjener på dataene dine, og hva du kan gjøre med det.

Denne uka på DARA:

Lørdagsutgaven har ukens sak, ukens tall og tre små ting du kan sjekke selv. Abonner for å få den i innboksen.

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