It is impossible in this modern age to not be even a little reliant on digital technology, where Malaysians download apps almost instinctively as the country continues its push into a digital-forward age.
Need to chat with family? WhatsApp. Watch videos? YouTube. Navigate? Waze or Google Maps. Many of these apps are “free” to instal and use, but as the saying goes, if you are not paying for the product, you are the product.
Behind the convenience of free apps lies a different kind of cost: the user’s personal data.
Free at surface level
A lot goes into app development, with liberal estimates placing price tags of RM15,000 for simple apps to over RM500,000 for more complex projects. So while apps like Telegram may be freely downloaded and only require a phone number for verification purposes, developers still need to make money even when there is no upfront payment.
The most common way this happens is through advertising and data collection such as users’ location, browsing history, contact list, device details and even usage patterns, such as what they click on or how long they spend on a page.
This is backed up by the Digital Ministry’s Personal Data Protection Department’s (JPDP) definition of personal data, which includes anything that identifies a person, from their phone number, address to online identifiers such as their IP address.
The collected data is then used to tailor ads or are sold to third-party marketers as part of the business model called data monetisation.
It is not hard to see examples of this, with the most common being social media platforms. Apps like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok are free because advertisers pay to target you based on your profile, activity and content consumption.
Even relatively insignificant or harmless apps like camera or photo editing apps can sometimes request unnecessary permissions, such as microphone access, with the more extreme end being apps disallowing usage if these permissions are not granted.
Scale of it all
Globally, awareness about this hidden trade-off has been growing. In 2018, Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal highlighted how data from millions of users was harvested through a free personality quiz app and then used for targeted political ads during the 2016 presidential campaigns of US politicians Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.
Closer to home, JPDP has issued repeated reminders for Malaysians to be cautious about what they consent to when downloading free apps, warning that personal data misuse can lead to fraud, scams and identity theft.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has also flagged rising cases of online scams linked to data leaks.
Real ‘cost’ of free
At a glance, the aforementioned data being compromised or sold may not seem harmful, until it eventually is with the following effects:
➤ Unending targeted ads
Have you ever looked up a town, city or country and then suddenly see travel ads littering your social media feed, YouTube videos and on Google Search? That is the result of data-driven advertising.
➤ Identity theft
Once sensitive data such as NRIC numbers, phone numbers and addresses are exposed, scammers can easily impersonate victims to open fake accounts or commit fraud.
➤ Loss of privacy
Constant location tracking can reveal patterns of where you live, work or shop. Over time, this builds a detailed profile of your daily life.
What users can do
While regulation is catching up, individual users can take steps to protect themselves, such as checking app permissions and only allowing access to features the app really needs. Another way is reading privacy policies, where if it says “shared with partners”, that often means advertisers.
Further workaround involves using alternatives, such as paid apps or paying for premium subscriptions, which often reduce or remove data tracking as the business model will rely on your payment, rather than your data.
Additionally, be selective with the apps you want. You do not need more than one picture filter app, after all. Finally, keep apps updated as each new update will typically patch security flaws in prior versions.
Hence then, the article about hidden price of free was published today ( ) and is available on Daily Sun ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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