Presentation Material
Abstract
With plenty of free security software options out there, it’s easy to wonder why you would want to pay for online protection. We all love free apps, right? The idea that one has to pay for software can drive away many users, whereas applications that offer free services, are always enticing. However, a basic fact which is often neglected is that the application owners advertising their creations for “free”, have to generate profits in some way. Mobile devices are stores of sensitive information and believe it or not, we are constantly sending a lot of information to some third-party app all the time. Installing a free app on our device(s) may not seem like a big deal at first but we need to understand the monopoly and concentration issues surrounding companies that own these apps, and how these companies are tracking & handling our data. So, Next time you find a free software, take a pause and think…is this free software truly free? Maybe if you are not paying for something, YOU are the product.
AI Generated Summary
The talk examines the economic model of free mobile applications, revealing that their primary revenue stems from the collection, analysis, and monetization of user data rather than direct user payment. Key findings indicate that free apps frequently employ embedded trackers and software development kits (SDKs) to capture sensitive information, including location, contacts, and browsing history. This data is sold to advertisers or shared with corporate partners for targeted advertising, a market valued at approximately $20 billion for location-based ads alone. A cited Symantec analysis of top free apps showed pervasive permission requests: camera access was sought by up to 25% of iOS apps and 6% of Android apps, while location tracking was requested by 44% of Android apps. The talk distinguishes between selling data (for monetary exchange) and sharing it (within partnerships), noting that both practices circumvent full user consent.
Real-world regulatory violations, such as GDPR fines