awareness
It sounds appealing: free internet for everyone. But what are you actually paying when you don't pay anything? Often, 'free' isn't really free. It usually comes at the cost of your data and privacy. In this blog, we'll explore what you give up when using free services and why only fairer alternatives can make the internet a place that works for everyone, without selling your personal information.
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A friend once told me she was talking about a new running app during lunch. She hadn't even searched for it online. That evening, she saw an ad for the same app on Instagram. Coincidence? Probably not.
When you use a free service, you often share more than you realize. It could be a social media app, a search engine or a free email account. You're not just giving them your name or email, you're also sharing your location, online habits, contacts and even patterns from your offline life (Rathenau Instituut, 2025).
According to the Rathenau Instituut (2025), free online services make money through tracking and selling your data. Companies collect huge amounts of information to show you targeted ads, analyze your behavior or even predict what you might do next. As Universiteit Leiden (2024) points out, Big Tech companies like Meta and Google control much of the internet, and their business model depends on trading your attention and personal information.
The Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (2019) also shows that 'free' services are part of a trade: you get access, they get data. In this way, data becomes a kind of currency.
'Free' doesn't mean you have control over your online life. Often, it's the opposite: by accepting the terms and conditions, you hand over part of your autonomy to the platform (Beveiligingswereld, 2025). Techniques like cross-device tracking follow your behavior across all your devices.
Even seemingly harmless data can be combined into a detailed profile of you, a so-called 'mosaic effect'. This profile can include very sensitive information.
At a tech event, I once asked someone if they knew what Google knew about me. Within 30 seconds, they showed me a page full of assumptions about my age, interests, political views and even my family life. It was a reminder of how little control we have over how companies track and profile us.
It's not just about ads. Losing your privacy can affect your mental health too. Knowing you're constantly being tracked can cause anxiety and make you feel powerless. You might even be less willing to speak freely online, worried about who is watching or how your data might be used.
Free internet also creates power imbalances. Those who control the data influence what you see, read and believe. In this way, 'free' services can contribute to echo chambers, polarization and manipulation of public opinion (Rathenau Instituut, 2025).
A fair internet values transparency, control and privacy. Alternatives exist that respect your data. One example is the Fediverse, a network of decentralized platforms like Mastodon. You can often create an account for free, but you don't pay with your data. Instead, these platforms rely on community engagement, volunteers and small contributions from users to cover costs. This way, your privacy stays protected and you maintain control over your online experience.
The Fediverse shows that 'free' doesn't have to mean giving up your freedom. Free services can be fair, if the business model is transparent and your data isn't sold (Fediverse, n.d). However, in general, the most reliable way to ensure the internet truly belongs to everyone is by paying with money instead of data (Rathenau Instituut, 2025).