The internet, once hailed as a democratising force, has become dominated by a handful of tech giants wielding unprecedented power. These platforms, operating on “free-access exchange” business models, offering nominally free services in exchange for free access to users, their data and connections, which they then monetise through targeted advertising.
While convenient, free-access exchange business models are inherently exploitative, extracting value from their users’ data and activities while concentrating wealth and control in the hands of a few.
The Problem with “Free”
The core issue with free-access exchange is that it’s not actually free. Users pay with their data, their attention, and their privacy. Personal data is used to serve increasingly intrusive ads, often leading to anti-competitive behaviour and social harm. Local economies suffer as revenue is siphoned off to multinationals operating from low-tax jurisdictions. Moreover, this model creates a power imbalance, as the platforms control the access and the data, giving them the power to exploit connections and interactions for their own benefit.
Inherent Limitations of Regulation: A Borderless Problem
Governments around the world are grappling with how to regulate Big Tech, but legislation faces inherent limitations. Laws are often reactive, struggling to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies. Moreover, achieving international consensus on digital regulation is a near-impossible task, as sovereign nations prioritise their own interests and values.
The fundamental problem is that regulation can’t change the exploitative nature or the questionable behaviours incentivised by free-access exchange business models.
This highlights the need to find a better way to monetise the internet.
Valued Introduces a new Business Model that Shares Value Not Exploits Value
Valued’s Shared Value Business Model is founded on the principle that value is created when a consumer engages with a business, not when a digital intermediary merely provides access. Therefore, it’s the consumer and the business who should share the value they create together, not the platform.
Here’s how it works:
- Businesses Pay Subscriptions: Valued offers digital intermediation as a service, funded by subscription fees paid by businesses and provided free to consumers. This eliminates the need to exploit user data or charge commissions.
- Direct Connection & Data Ownership: Businesses and consumers connect directly, owning their own data and connections. This gives them the power to commercialise their digital activity and networks.
- Consumers Get Rewarded: When consumers engage with businesses (provide feedback, make recommendations, etc.), they are recognised and can be rewarded for the value they create with vouchers and later digital tokens.
- Social Purpose Integration: The digital tokens can be donated to charities, creating a powerful avenue for zero-cost fundraising and aligning business success with social impact.
Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Equity
Compared to the existing model, the Shared Value approach is:
- Efficient: Businesses decide how much they pay for leads and sales generated by their customers, optimising marketing spend and reducing waste.
- Effective: Recommendations from trusted sources are more impactful than ads targeting strangers, leading to higher conversion rates and customer loyalty.
- Equitable: Value is shared fairly between businesses and consumers, promoting a community-driven ecosystem that supports local economies and social causes.
Valued offers a radically different approach
Valued is a Business Model, enabled by a technical capability, that reimagines the digital economy from the ground up. It’s about moving beyond free to building a digital future where value is shared, not exploited.
Help create a better internet by downloading Valued today from the App Store or Play Store.
Businesses register for your free trial at valued.biz and start turning referrals into revenue.
