Abine's real purpose in promoting these numbers is to get people to sign up for its PrivacyWatch alerts at $2 a month. For the cost of a cheeseburger, Abine will alert you when Facebook makes changes to its privacy policies and controls, and it will serve up tips on how to enjoy your life with just a little less Zuckerberg in it.
I'm not convinced people who use Facebook for free would pay $24 a year for something that essentially tells them not to use Facebook. Maybe that's just me. But even if this calculation is mostly just a gimmick, it still serves as a helpful reminder: When you use Facebook, Facebook is also using you. But only one of you is making money from it.
What's Facebook worth to you, and vice versa? Chime in below or email me: cringe@infoworld.com.
This article, "How much money is Facebook making off you?," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Follow the crazy twists and turns of the tech industry with Robert X. Cringely's Notes from the Field blog, and subscribe to Cringely's Notes from the Underground newsletter.