The truth and privacy aren't free

... the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Washington Post, the New Republic, New York, Harper’s, the New York Review of Books, the Financial Times, and the London Times all have paywalls. Breitbart, Fox News, the Daily Wire, the Federalist, the Washington Examiner, InfoWars: free!

Possibly even worse is the fact that so much academic writing is kept behind vastly more costly paywalls. A white supremacist on YouTube will tell you all about race and IQ but if you want to read a careful scholarly refutation, obtaining a legal PDF from the journal publisher would cost you $14.95...

— The Truth is Paywalled, but the Lies are Free, Current Affairs

A similar dynamic exists with privacy: free, ad-based services monetize your personal data, whereas paid/subscription-based services tend not to—they would rather keep you as a subscriber. Privacy isn't free. As we all digest the world through our screens, this division of those willing or able to pay has dramatic consequences on society.

Relatedly, confirmation bias is a great way to make people feel good and keep them using a service and serving more ads. But it can still be really shocking to see the bubbles we live in. See what videos YouTube recommends if you're a prepper, liberal, conservative, conspiracist or climate denier.