When “Free” Is Not “Free”

Consumers on the Internet routinely give away data — information about their habits, preferences, purchasing patterns, contacts and more — in return for “free” access to an abundance of platforms and sites. While this may be an attractive model for some users, most are operating with less than full information. In the digital world, what is “freely” given can actually come with embedded costs. Defining large quantities of user data as a product cognizable under antitrust laws raises