As you go about in life, beware of cheap or free offers
VISHAL GUPTA
Data Engineer @Koantek | DPPC @Databricks| EX-Coforge |Databricks Certified Professional Data Engineer | Big Data| Streaming |DSA | Data Warehousing | Python | Spark | ETL | SQL | AWS | DataStage| Snowflake
There was once a young man named Lee who loved exploring new apps and websites. One day, he stumbled upon an intriguing app that promised endless entertainment and social connections—all for free.
Excited by the offer, he eagerly signed up without a second thought.
At first, the app seemed like a dream come true. Lee enjoyed connecting with new friends, playing games, and consuming content curated perfectly to his tastes. However, he soon noticed something unsettling. Advertisements began popping up everywhere, and the app seemed to know an alarming amount about his preferences and daily routines.
Curiosity got the better of him, and Lee started researching the app’s privacy policies and business model. He discovered that while the app was free to use, it was collecting and selling users' personal data to third-party companies. Essentially, users like him were the product being sold.
Feeling betrayed, Lee deleted the app and became more cautious about free offers. He learned a valuable lesson: if it’s free, most likely you are the product.
From then on, he carefully evaluated the true cost of “free” services and prioritized his privacy and security above all else.
Lee’s story serves as a reminder to all of us. As we navigate through life’s digital landscape, it’s crucial to stay vigilant.
Not everything that glitters is gold, and sometimes the hidden costs of free offers can be far greater than we imagine. So Be Aware.