Everything has its price - and if that price is not paid, not that thing but something else is obtained... it is impossible to get anything without this price. Ralph Waldo Emerson
News today exposed that Google has removed a few Apps from their Google Play store that were scraping private customer data from phones. The code ran on millions of Android devices that downloaded various ‘FREE’ apps. These apps included a Muslim prayer app, a highway speed-trap app, a QR code reading app, and others.
The Panamanian company that wrote the code, Measurement Systems S. de R.L., is linked to a Virginia defense contractor that does cyber intelligence, network defense, and intelligence-intercept work for U.S. national-security agencies. Measurement Systems paid developers around the world to incorporate its code into their apps. Inserting them is often enticing for app developers, who get a stream of income as well as detailed data about their user base.
Measurement Systems offers to pay developers to include its software code in their mobile apps, saying the code collects “non-personal information about app users.” They told developers they could earn anywhere from $100 to $10,000—or more—a month depending on how many active users it could deliver.
The code was harvesting a large amount of data about each user—including precise location, personal identifiers such as email and phone numbers as well as data about nearby computers and mobile devices. It could also read your clipboard - ever copy and paste passwords?
I used to listen to Peter Boyles on talk radio in Denver, Colorado - he was famous for repeating the line from the film All the President’s Men; “Follow the Money.” It implied that you could find corruption by following the money. He was right!
When you see anything offered for free, you need to ask the question: ‘How are they Making Money’ or ‘How are they making a living?’ Are there really software developers spending hundreds of hours writing an app that you find useful and then giving it away free? Yes, in some cases it drives business to their company as in grocery apps. In many others, there are additional fees that you find later. My wife enjoys a game that ‘sells’ tips for the incredibly complicated game - I am sure it has already cost us over 50$ but it is ok since I know how they are getting paid and we agreed to it. Churchill solitaire
I always am mulling over how someone monetizes something that is free - you should too. I was young once and was so happy to find that shaving blade companies would give me FREE shaving handles with a few token blades thrown in - I am not so young anymore… How is the New York Times monetizing the Wordle game?
What ‘free’ item did you receive that really cost something? A three-day weekend trip to a resort that included a four-hour sales pitch?
Nothing is free. Everything has to be paid for. For every profit in one thing, payment in some other thing. For every life, a death. Ted Hughes, The Tiger's Bones
If you want to see the additional 'price' of free, explore the "permissions" free apps have on your phone or tablet> then ask yourself, why on earth would and app "X" need permission to access "y". App permission abuse is the end of any privacy.
If you want to see the additional 'price' of free, explore the "permissions" free apps have on your phone or tablet> then ask yourself, why on earth would and app "X" need permission to access "y". App permission abuse is the end of any privacy.
Nothing is free in this life. I agree wholeheartedly with your thoughts on the subject.
Hmm, I wonder if friendship has its price. Of course it does. A bargain so seldom found so happy to maintain.
Nice work Leland