Google Says Data is More Like Sunlight Than Oil

Google wants to popularize a more upbeat way of describing data: It's more like sunlight than oil. From a report: Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday morning, Google's chief financial officer, Ruth Porat, said that 'data is more like sunlight than oil,' adding, 'It is like sunshine -- we keep using it, and it keeps regenerating.' It's a twist on the well-known phrase 'data is the new oil,' meaning the world's most valuable resource is information rather than petroleum. Like the oil barons who preceded them, Silicon Valley titans such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon have risen quickly to profit from this new resource and even control its flow. And in another echo of history, regulators are eyeing the industry.

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