---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Surveillance is the business model of the…"
description: "\"Surveillance is the business model of the Internet.\" — Bruce Schneier"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/bruce-schneier-8231_business_surveillance-is-the-business-model-of-th_198495.png"
---

#  Surveillance is the business model of the Internet.

![“Surveillance is the business model of the Internet.” quote by Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/bruce-schneier-8231_business_surveillance-is-the-business-model-of-th_198495.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/bruce-schneier-8231_business_surveillance-is-the-business-model-of-th_198495.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/bruce-schneier-8231_business_surveillance-is-the-business-model-of-th_198495.png)

> “Surveillance is the business model of the Internet.”

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

It asserts that the Internet’s revenue model relies on surveillance, highlighting privacy concerns.

**In simple terms:** Internet profits from surveillance.

Key Takeaway

Beware data‑driven business models.

Themes

privacy surveillance business models

Mood

cautious informative

Type

technological ethical

When to use this quote

- online services
- policy making
- consumer awareness

Key Concepts

information ethics digital economy

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we incentivize privacy?
- What alternatives exist to surveillance?

A Different Perspective

Surveillance isn’t the only model.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-models/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance/)

## Related quotes

> [Our movements and feelings are constantly monitored, because surveillance is the business model of the digital age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-viner/our-movements-and-feelings-are-constantly-monitored-because/)

[Katharine Viner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-viner/)

> [A big factor is that the enthusiast camp's values are really rooted in Silicon Valley and in these supposedly new business models. But again,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astra-taylor/a-big-factor-is-that-the-enthusiast-camp-s-values-are-really-rooted/)

[Astra Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/astra-taylor/)

> [Trying to make bits uncopyable is like trying to make water not wet. The sooner people accept this, and build business models that take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/trying-to-make-bits-uncopyable-is-like-trying-to-make-water-not-wet/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [The Internet produces new business models and also reinvents traditional business models.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/the-internet-produces-new-business-models-and-also-reinvents/)

[Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/)

> [There is this ferocious digital revolution coming along and we're in the teeth of that at the time of maximum economic disruption. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-rusbridger/there-is-this-ferocious-digital-revolution-coming-along-and-we-re-in/)

Alan Rusbridger

> [I talked with people starting up in the middle of the recession and employees, and supplies and office space were cheap. As far as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jj-ramberg/i-talked-with-people-starting-up-in-the-middle-of-the-recession-and/)

[JJ Ramberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jj-ramberg/)

> [If a scientist is reading a paper online and clicks through to purchase material, there's value there. It might be a business model; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wilbanks/if-a-scientist-is-reading-a-paper-online-and-clicks-through-to/)

[John Wilbanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wilbanks/)

> [Strategies are great, business models are great, but the reality is your music has to mean something to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brother-ali/strategies-are-great-business-models-are-great-but-the-reality-is/)

[Brother Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brother-ali/)

> [Pick something you are interested in, and keep applying a business model that includes Internet Marketing to make it global, get thousands of leads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-repchuk/pick-something-you-are-interested-in-and-keep-applying-a-business/)

Tracy Repchuk

> [The utility of the robot needs to come first. It's business model over technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-angle/the-utility-of-the-robot-needs-to-come-first-it-s-business-model-over/)

[Colin Angle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-angle/)

> [The business model piece is we're always talking about competing more effectively. If you're starting a company or career you don't want to compete.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/the-business-model-piece-is-we-re-always-talking-about-competing-more/)

[Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/)

> [The exploitation agenda advocated by liberals is modeled after the dependency-inducing design of the drug dealer's business model: "We'll supply the first hit for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-mcglowan/the-exploitation-agenda-advocated-by-liberals-is-modeled-after-the/)

Angela McGlowan

> [The problem with Wal-Mart is that it's a business model premised on offering the customer low prices at any cost - any cost to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-featherstone/the-problem-with-wal-mart-is-that-it-s-a-business-model-premised-on/)

Liza Featherstone

> [In my experience, in the real-estate business past success stories are generally not applicable to new situations. We must continually reinvent ourselves, responding to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-mori/in-my-experience-in-the-real-estate-business-past-success-stories-are/)

[Akira Mori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-mori/)

> [As business models evolve, as the way you distribute content evolves, as the ability to do things online changes in terms of pricing or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-kotick/as-business-models-evolve-as-the-way-you-distribute-content-evolves/)

[Bobby Kotick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-kotick/)

## More by Bruce Schneier

> [It is sort of interesting that in our society this days we are very quick to apply the term 'war' to places where thare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/it-is-sort-of-interesting-that-in-our-society-this-days-we-are-very/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [There are two types of encryption: one that will prevent your sister from reading your diary and one that will prevent your government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/there-are-two-types-of-encryption-one-that-will-prevent-your-sister/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [Don't make the mistake of thinking you're Facebook's customer, you're not – you're the product,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/don-t-make-the-mistake-of-thinking-you-re-facebook-s-customer-you-re/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [Cryptography products may be declared illegal, but the information will never be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/cryptography-products-may-be-declared-illegal-but-the-information/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [The real targets of terrorism are the rest of us: the billions of us who are not killed but are terrorized because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/the-real-targets-of-terrorism-are-the-rest-of-us-the-billions-of-us/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [A colleague once told me that the world was full of bad security systems designed by people who read Applied Cryptography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/a-colleague-once-told-me-that-the-world-was-full-of-bad-security/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [History has taught us: never underestimate the amount of money, time, and effort someone will expend to thwart a security system. It's always better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/history-has-taught-us-never-underestimate-the-amount-of-money-time/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [ID can be hijacked, and cards can be faked. All of the 9/11 terrorists had fake IDs, yet they still got on the planes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/id-can-be-hijacked-and-cards-can-be-faked-all-of-the-9-11-terrorists/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [Terrorism is a crime against the mind. We win by refusing fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/terrorism-is-a-crime-against-the-mind-we-win-by-refusing-fear/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [It's certainly easier to implement bad security and make it illegal for anyone to notice than it is to implement good security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/it-s-certainly-easier-to-implement-bad-security-and-make-it-illegal/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [The very definition of news is something that hardly ever happens. If an incident is in the news, we shouldn't worry about it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/the-very-definition-of-news-is-something-that-hardly-ever-happens-if/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [“Even though we don't know which companies the NSA has compromised – or by what means – knowing that they could have compromised any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/even-though-we-don-t-know-which-companies-the-nsa-has-compromised-or/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [Computer security can simply be protecting your equipment and files from disgruntled employees, spies, and anything that goes bump in the night, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/computer-security-can-simply-be-protecting-your-equipment-and-files/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [Hardware is easy to protect: lock it in a room, chain it to a desk, or buy a spare. Information poses more of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/hardware-is-easy-to-protect-lock-it-in-a-room-chain-it-to-a-desk-or/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

> [Security is a process, not a product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/security-is-a-process-not-a-product/)

[Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

[Explore all 82 Bruce Schneier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/)

## More Business quotes

> [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/)

[Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/)

[Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/)

> [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/)

[Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

[Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Surveillance is the business model of the Internet.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bruce Schneier"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/surveillance-is-the-business-model-of-the-internet/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Business"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/surveillance-is-the-business-model-of-the-internet/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/bruce-schneier-8231_business_surveillance-is-the-business-model-of-th_198495.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/bruce-schneier-8231_business_surveillance-is-the-business-model-of-th_198495.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/bruce-schneier-8231_business_surveillance-is-the-business-model-of-th_198495.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Surveillance is the business model of the Internet.” — Bruce Schneier",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bruce Schneier",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Surveillance is the business model of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/surveillance-is-the-business-model-of-the-internet/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/surveillance-is-the-business-model-of-the-internet/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
