Innovative Technology Model To Enable Social Media Users To Control And Monetize Personal Data (Supporting Files)

<p>The files attached support a dissertation by Benjamin McAlester Brink submitted in December 2025 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Technology. Files include data and analysis from a marketing survey in the dissertation and files associated with a system design in the dissertation.</p>

<p>The dissertation abstract follows.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify; text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">Social media users cannot protect privacy or control the use of internet activity and other personal data collected by social media enterprises. Numerous studies and surveys confirm that social media users and the public at large are increasingly concerned about privacy and activities of social media companies. This author examined what are the societal and user concerns about privacy self-management (PSM), data security, and social media company actions and asks if this suggests that there might be potential market interest in a social media platform to ensure user PSM, control, and monetization their data. The author then reviewed what market-driven applications using existing technology could be used to develop a social media platform to allow the user to ensure privacy and control of PSM and Personal Data, and to monetize activity and static user data. It then developed a conceptual functional model of the platform using existing technology.</span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify; text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">Social media enterprise business models and technologies drive the revenue strategies of the enterprise. Those models benefit the enterprise’s customers, such as advertisers and merchants, and drive technology design and development to more effectively user data to evaluate, track, and influence those individuals. The users, and their personal data, are the products, not the customers; they have little control or even knowledge about the collection and use of their personal data; and do not realize direct value from its use. These business models create profit for social media enterprises, and increasing concern is being expressed by individuals and governments that commercial excesses do not benefit individuals, create risk, and, through behavior modification, cause actual harm. Yet, the very business models that use free or cheaply acquired personal data to influence individuals make it impossible, or highly difficult, for the industry to become more sensitive to the users’ (in particular, non-paying users) needs, rights, desires, and wellbeing.</span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify; text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">The author provided a background on the current state of the social media market space. The researcher reviewed published statistics on social media use and privacy, government and legislative actions to regulate social media enterprise activities, and business and technology models that social media enterprises employ to collect and exploit social media user data. The author also provided a background on user preferences and societal concerns about privacy and control of personal data. </span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify; text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">The researcher conducted a survey of late Millennial and Generation Z (18-39) social media users to gauge market interest in social media services that would safeguard their personal data and enable these users to monetize their data. The author investigated whether there is sufficient interest in an alternative business model supported by existing and new technology that could disrupt the existing social media industry by enabling individuals to gain control, secure, establish ownership of their own user data and create value for themselves by monetizing their own data.</span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify; text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">The author illustrated a conceptual systems engineering model that integrates existing technology (e.g., open source and licensed software, and commercial services). The researcher examined the feasibility of the model using four methods: conducting a literature search on relevant, existing technologies to protect privacy, control, and monetize social media user data; building a high-level systems model; validating technology choices by review of an expert panel; and validating model functionality by simulating several use cases. </span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify; text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">The author established that there is almost universal concern about privacy and increasing concern about behavioral manipulation and actual harm caused by social media as well as a desire by users to be able to control their private data. The author concluded that there is a market opportunity for a platform that would enable social media users to control and monetize personal data.</span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify; text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="line-height:150%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">The author also determined that there are numerous off-the-shelf open source and commercial technologies available to integrate into a privacy-forward social media platform with a minimum of capital, appropriate for a start-up enterprise. The author concluded by developing a systems model using available technology that a platform that could be built that would enable social media users to control and monetize personal data.</span></span></span></span></span></p>

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