Lynda ArtesaniLegal Accountant and Data Migration Specialist at The Proper Trust

The Unseen Cost of 'Free' Software? Your Data.

13 Jun 2025 · 1 min

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In this brief commentary, the speaker argues that "free" software is not truly free because providers harvest user data. He links this concern to broader anxieties about moving from outdated, on‑premise systems to cloud services, noting that many people already surrender personal information through ubiquitous devices like iPhones. While some companies claim to mask or anonymize data, the speaker suggests that data collection is an inevitable part of modern digital life, framing it as an unfortunate but common trade‑off.

Chapters

What free means is that— That you're— yeah, they're using your data. I know. So, and those are the things that they worry about coming off of an antiquated system and, and trying to go to the cloud and why they were afraid to be in the cloud. And I, I think that that's a bigger conversation, but most people have an iPhone. They've already done it. They've given away their data. Um, you know, you've done that with your phone. Yes, you don't want to give your data away. They, they allegedly don't use it if It's masked or whatever, but I mean, in today's world, it's kind of part of what happens in life, unfortunately.