6. From “Free” to “Getting Paid”
Let's define what we mean by “Personal data”
- Smart watch: heart‑rate variability every 2 seconds
- Delivery apps: whether you bought oat milk or whisky at 2 a.m.
- Smart cars: eye‑tracking via cabin cameras
- Communication: who I'm in contact with or following via email, chat & social apps
Put together, those breadcrumbs sketch a more intimate portrait than even your closest friend could put together.
The “What’s Better Than Free?” Problem
Big Tech offers slick free products. Facebook’s $40 billion ad revenue 2024 = $4 per user per month. Tiny, yet the platform pocketed it all. To switch, users need better than free:
- Get paid for data.
- Gain privacy without losing convenience.
- Own identity instead of renting login.
We know users won’t leave Instagram unless the alternative is better and cheaper/fairer. Valu bundles all three - plus community upside - to create irresistible pull.
Brave browser has found some success by paying users in BAT + blocking ads. Valu Social adopts a similar, yet more holistic approach.
Flipping the script
Social networks felt free because you paid with data and attention. Valu switches the model.
| Old | New |
|---|---|
| Ads everywhere | Paid, opt‑in messages |
| You are the product | You set your price |
| Opaque targeting | Transparent, ZK‑proof‑backed criteria |
Users can auction attention, pool it with communities, or swap it for discounts - in crypto or fiat.
360 ° of Me
Your purchase history, biometrics, chats, location pings - all patch together a digital vault more detailed than any diary. Imagine a dashboard where you:
- Import all your personal data that Big Tech currently tracks
- Revoke that 2014 Facebook quiz app’s permissions
- Sell your health data anonymously to medical‑AI researchers
- Auto‑file GDPR “right to be forgotten” requests by having your personal Valu Guru do it for you
Why It’s Valuable
- Powers personalised health and education
- Lowers risk for lenders and insurers
- Predicts needs and desires; all under your control
The current system: you give it away for “free”. Valu re‑licenses it on your terms.
Why it’s urgent
Biometric permanence - you can change a password, not a face. In 2023, a single Clearview AI leak revealed 3 billion scraped images, already harmonised to law‑enforcement systems. Better controls are not just bureaucracy; they’re damage containment.
Data dignity flips the script: we remain signal creators but claim royalties whenever someone builds atop that signal.
Zero‑Knowledge Proofs Made Simple
A Zero‑Knowledge Proof (ZKP) lets you prove a statement is true without revealing the underlying data. Like proving “I’m over 18” by showing a locked box whose key only opens if the hidden number ≥ 18. The bartender sees the box unlock, never the number. Web3 voting tools (e.g. Semaphore) already use ZKPs to let DAO members prove membership without doxing wallets.
Raw data stays local or encrypted; only zero‑knowledge proofs leave the vault.
Everyday Uses
- Prove you’re over 18 to buy wine online.
- Show income range to a lender without exposing payslips.
- Vote anonymously while still preventing double‑voting.
In Valu, ZKP's power private-yet-verifiable transactions, identity, and messaging.