Should Data Dividends be added to Layer 3?
Proposition
Add "Data Dividends" as a fourth component of Layer 3 (Collective Ownership) in the Pyramid of Prosperity, establishing a mechanism for citizens to receive compensation for corporate use of their personal data.
Supporting Arguments (34)
⚙
Strong
Data dividends align perfectly with our Human Agency First principle. By compensating citizens for their data, we restore power and choice to individuals who currently have no leverage over how their information is monetized.
Supporting Evidence
Tech giants earned $227B from advertising in 2024, primarily powered by user data. The average user's data is worth ~$240/year (Lanier, 2023).
⚙
Strong
This creates a natural transition pathway. As AI automates jobs, data dividends provide an alternative income stream that grows with automation—the more AI depends on data, the more citizens benefit.
Opposing Arguments (18)
⚙
Moderate
Implementation complexity is significant. How do we track individual data contributions across thousands of platforms? The technical infrastructure alone could cost billions and create new privacy concerns.
✦
Weak
Data dividends might incentivize more data collection, not less. If people benefit from sharing data, privacy could become a luxury only the wealthy can afford.