"If you're not paying for it, you're the product" was coined in a 2010 online comment
Misquoted Confidence: medium
Primary source found, but the way it is quoted changes the subject, metric, population or precision.
- Commonly cited as
- "If you're not paying for the product, you are the product"
- True origin
- Quote Investigator — You're Not the Customer; You're the Product (July 16, 2017; updated Oct. 28, 2024)
- Type
- Stat check: A widely repeated statistic traced back to its origin.
- Year
- 1973 (precursor)
- Data as of
- Research updated Oct. 28, 2024
- Last checked
- What the source says
In conclusion, this saying evolved over time. Richard Serra and Carlota Fay Schoolman crafted an interesting precursor in 1973. A strong match was written by Tom Johnson in 2001. An extended statement was written by Andrew Lewis in 2010.
- Method & sample
- Quotation research.
- Drift between quote and source
- Origin: the 2010 MetaFilter comment (blue_beetle / Andrew Lewis) popularized it; the idea dates to a 1973 video about TV advertising
- Interest
- Quote Investigator is an independent quotation-research site run by Garson O'Toole; no commercial interest in the quote.
Safe rephrasing
The saying evolved over decades: a 1973 video by Richard Serra and Carlota Fay Schoolman said 'You are the product of t.v.', and a 2010 MetaFilter comment gave the popular 'If you are not paying for it...' wording.
Sources we opened
Machine-readable: /api/claims/if-youre-not-paying-youre-the-product-origin.json · Last checked 2026-10-16