Is “free WiFi” really free?

When you go to Starbucks, McDonald’s or other places that offer free WiFi, you probably do what most of us do and connect, so you don’t have to use your cell data.

But, what if this “free” WiFi isn’t truly free?

There are some businesses out there that use this free WiFi to track you, called WiFi tracking. Somewhere hidden in the Terms and Conditions small print it explains that they are tracking you for “better user experience”. So, if you’re at a Mall or large department store, they are tracking everything you do online. And the only way to stop this is to turn off your WiFi.

But that’s not all. The data they are collecting can be highly profitable to advertisers. They can turn around at some future point and sell this aggregated data to 3rd parties. Now, they will say that the information will be anonymous, but that’s not entirely true. There are highly trained people who can track this data, browsing history, etc, back to individuals. Advertisers love this, because they want to send targeted ads to you, so that you’ll be more likely to buy their product if they know you’ve recently researched online. I’m not saying all of this is bad, but I think many people out there aren’t fully aware of what’s happening and how it’s happening.

So, what can you do to protect yourself while using free WiFi?

Probably the most effective way is to use a VPN app or service that will encrypt everything you do online. From email, to web browsing, to Instant Messages and texts, all of it will be encrypted. Even if your data is intercepted, it won’t be possible to trace it back to you because the VPN will mask your IP address.

In addition to this, there are many countries that are known for hackers infiltrating people’s devices and compromising data. Russia and China probably top the list. In the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, some countries warned their Olympians about possible hacking of their devices, and asked them to leave their devices back home or to not connect to any WiFi, especially in the hotels. I’ve actually advised some of my clients when traveling to some of these high risk countries, to take a blank or factory reset laptop with them, and to not have any personal data on it, and to wipe it again when they get back.

Overall, you just have to be careful out there when using personal electronics. It’s important to be informed and to take certain precautions to lower your risk of being compromised.

And the next time you connect to a free WiFi device, keep this information in mind: Keep your usage to a minimum or use some sort of VPN.