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The Economics of Free

Your Data as the Price

Many free services collect personal data, which is used for advertising or sold in aggregated forms, raising privacy concerns.

What you pay with.

Collection

Location, browsing and purchases are tracked.

Use

Data helps target ads and improve products.

Rules

India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 requires consent and gives users rights over their data.

Choices

Users can adjust privacy settings and choose paid, ad-free options.

A permission pop-up

An app asks for access to contacts and location before working.

Clicking accept without reading

Consider what you are giving.

Key takeaways
  • Free services collect data.
  • Data funds ads.
  • India passed a data protection law in 2023.
  • Users can adjust settings.
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