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Comment by Puer | Hacker News Reader

Companies will argue, either rightly or wrongly, that people are already getting paid... Just not in cash. Google Maps is free for me to use, so long as I relinquish location data necessary for it to function, which Google can then use as they please to analyze what businesses I frequent, where I live, what type of transportation I use, etc.

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You don't have to give them that data. It's still free because they can serve ads based on where you're searching.

I disagree. The modern act of viewing a digital ad produces more data than people realize. How long you looked at an ad, whether you clicked it, whether you skipped it or tried to hide it, etc. All of those implicit actions create data that is then surrendered to the collector.

Yep, no argument about user metadata. My point was specifically about location data, which users do not have to give.

> Google Maps is free for me to use, so long as I relinquish location data necessary for it to function

Google maps is not free. The end user will perceive it is free, but businesses will become dependent on embedding google maps into their site, then will have to pay for said maps. This actually came up recently.

The same is true for email. The end user will perceive it is free, but businesses have to pay into whitelists based on volume. The costs are then passed on the the customers. So not only is it not free, you pay for it even if you don't use it.

By your definition, what would you consider a free thing?

I would consider something free if nobody had to pay anything for it.

Right, but can you give an example? I think there’s a credible argument that nothing is free according to your definition.

That is in fact my point. There are no free services.

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