AnythingCounter: How We Calculate These Numbers

1. Data basis

All statistics are based on publicly available reports and studies from official or widely cited sources. Examples include: WHO, national statistics offices (e.g. BLS, NHTSA), FBI IC3, INTERPOL, DataReportal, Statista, Cisco VNI, research institutions (e.g. Microsoft Research, Cornell), and industry reports (e.g. Spotify, Luminate, IFR World Robotics). Each counter value on AnythingCounter lists one or more sources in its info panel.

2. How values are calculated

Source data usually comes as annual, daily, or per-minute totals. We convert these into a rate (per second, per minute, per hour, or per day) and then multiply by the time elapsed since midnight (for “Today”) or since 1 January (for “This year”). So the numbers you see are real-time estimates, not live measurements. For example: if a report says “X per day,” we compute (X ÷ 86400) and multiply by seconds since midnight to get “so far today.”

Some statistics are static reference values (e.g. average attention span in seconds). Those do not tick; they are clearly marked and explained in the info text.

3. Scaling and extrapolation

Where only regional or national data exists (e.g. U.S. only), we sometimes scale to a global estimate using documented assumptions (e.g. “U.S. assumed to represent ~20–25% of global victims”). These assumptions are stated in the info text for the relevant statistic. We do not invent rates; we derive them from published figures and make the scaling logic transparent.

Global Internet Traffic (Terabyte/sec): This estimate is derived from publicly reported data from global Internet Exchange operators, which collectively handle a large proportion of backbone traffic. In 2025, these exchanges reported a combined throughput of approximately 79 Exabytes over the course of the year. By converting annual total data volume into an average per-second rate (79 000 000 TB ÷ 31 536 000 s ≈ 2.5 TB/sec), we arrive at the rate used in the counter. This figure should be interpreted as an estimate reflecting major Internet infrastructure (e.g. DE-CIX and similar IX traffic), not every packet sent or received on all networks worldwide.

4. Uncertainties

Many underlying figures are themselves estimates or projections (e.g. “global scam victims,” “AI hallucinations per day”). Reporting lags, definition differences, and methodological gaps mean that real-world values can differ. We use midpoints or cited central estimates where a range exists. The counter is intended to illustrate scale and order of magnitude, not to serve as an authoritative real-time feed for policy or research.

5. Update frequency

The counter updates in your browser every second (or every 50 ms for the display refresh). The underlying rates are fixed until we revise them; we update rates when new reports or data become available, not in real time from live APIs. So “today” and “this year” are always based on the same per-second (or per-minute etc.) rate derived from the latest cited sources.

6. Full list of sources

The complete list of data sources used across all statistics is shown at the bottom of the live statistics dashboard page under “Data sources.” Each statistic also has an info button (+) that opens the exact sources and a short explanation for that value. For questions or corrections, use the contact details in our Imprint.