ZURICH – – September 28, 2026 -- A UK family would need 83 hours, or 10.4 eight-hour working days, to read all the privacy and terms documents tied to one ordinary day of digital activity, a new Web3 Foundation White Paper finds.
Modelled household scenario totals 257 documents and 1,184,835 words
The figure exceeds the 884,647 words in William Shakespeare's complete works by 34%. Researchers mapped six model households across the UK and US, identifying 1,195 relevant consumer privacy and terms documents totaling more than 5.38 million words across 143 companies and institutions.
83% of documents permit personal data use for marketing or advertising
The analysis found 80% of documents allow combining user data with other information, while 71% permit sharing with commercial partners. At least 24% of documents state user data may be used to train or improve AI or machine-learning systems.
Web3 Foundation founder Gavin Wood says disclosure volume functions as concealment
"We did what consumers are told to do: we read the privacy policies. For the modelled UK family, one ordinary day means more than ten working days of reading. None of this is hidden. Rather, it is disclosed, in public, in full, and at a volume that functions as concealment," Wood said.
Bill Laboon calls for services that verify data without disclosing underlying information
Bill Laboon, Vice President of Technical Operations at Web3 Foundation, said the report raises the question of whether services can be built differently, for example by allowing people to prove what is needed without routinely disclosing underlying data. The study, titled "Everyday Surveillance: What One Ordinary Day May Reveal About You," states it does not claim to be a national survey but examines documented capabilities and permissions across evidence-led model scenarios in the UK and US.