We’ve all done it. Downloaded an app, signed up for a service, tapped “accept all” just to get started. It’s free. It’s easy. What’s the harm?
But since stepping away from Meta platforms, I’ve started to see how misleading that word free really is. Most of these platforms aren’t free at all. We’re just paying in a different way.
And often, it’s with something far more personal.
Convenience Always Comes With a Catch
Big Tech builds products that feel effortless. You open WhatsApp and your chats are waiting. You scroll Instagram and see exactly what your brain was craving. You Google something and it feels like it read your mind.
And because it all works so smoothly, we rarely stop to ask how it’s happening.
The truth is, the more seamless something feels, the more likely it is that you’re the product. Your clicks, your words, your preferences. Everything gets tracked and analyzed. Not just for ads, but now also to train AI systems behind the scenes.
That’s the new currency. Your data, your attention, your behaviour.
When Messaging Stops Being Just Messaging
WhatsApp’s new AI-generated summaries are a good example. The feature helps you catch up on group chats by letting AI read through them and tell you what you missed. On paper, that sounds helpful.
But here’s the thing: to summarize your conversations, the system has to process your conversations. Even if Meta says it’s done privately, it still means you’re giving up some level of control just to avoid scrolling through a few messages.
And now they’ve added ads to the app too. Not inside your chats, but in the Updates tab. It’s subtle, but it shows where things are headed.
WhatsApp used to proudly claim it would never have ads. That line has been crossed.
The Real Cost of “Free”
What we’re giving up isn’t obvious at first. But it adds up:
• Control over your personal data
• Privacy in your conversations
• Trust in the platform’s motives
• Time and attention you didn’t agree to sell
And in return, we get the ability to send a message or watch a Story. That trade just doesn’t feel fair anymore.
This is why I’ve made small but intentional changes. My WhatsApp is still active, but with an automated message that asks people to contact me on Signal, iMessage, or SMS. I’ve also stopped using Instagram altogether. I moved my photos to Bluesky. It takes effort, but it’s worth it.
Better Doesn’t Mean Perfect, But It Means You Choose
There are still tools out there that don’t treat you like a product.
Signal is one of the best alternatives. It’s free, simple, and doesn’t rely on ads or surveillance to survive.
iMessage works well if you’re in the Apple ecosystem.
Google Messages with RCS is catching up, especially for Android users.
Even SMS still does the job in most cases.
Yes, switching takes some patience. And yes, it’s annoying when people don’t want to move. But once you do it, you start to notice how much calmer your digital space becomes.
You stop being a target. You start being a person again.
Final Thoughts
We’ve accepted the idea that if something is free, it’s good enough. But nothing is ever truly free when it comes from a trillion-dollar company.
Every time we trade privacy for convenience, we’re giving something away. Bit by bit. Until one day, it’s just the norm that AI reads our messages and we get targeted in places that used to feel personal.
If that doesn’t sit right with you, even a small change matters. Try using Signal with one friend. Set up SMS again. Reclaim just one part of your digital space.
Because free isn’t free. And I think we’re all starting to feel that.