People are happy to give away their most valuable asset

At present, people are happy to give away their most valuable asset – their personal data – in exchange for free email services and funny cat videos. It’s a bit like African and Native American tribes who unwittingly sold entire countries to European imperialists in exchange for colorful beads and cheap trinkets.

— Yuval Noah Harari, 2018

From the book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century