Personal information: the new currency of the digital economy

Technological progress has profoundly changed the way personal data are collected, accessed and used. Those data make possible unprecedented customization of advertising which, in turn, is the business model adopted by many of the most successful Internet companies. Yet measuring the value being generated is still a complex task. This paper presents a review of the literature on this subject. It has been found that the economic analysis of personal information has been conducted up to now from a qualitative perspective mainly linked to privacy issues. A better understanding of a quantitative approach to this topic is urgently needed.