Ah, the classic bait-and-switch of modern digital life. When a sketchy character in a top hat tells you something is "free," prepare for the fine print written in data-harvesting ink. Free VPNs are basically digital vampires with better marketing. Instead of paying with your credit card, you're paying with every juicy bit of your browsing history, which they'll happily package and sell to the highest bidder. Remember: when you're not paying for the product, you are the product. And your data is worth way more than that $4.99 monthly subscription you were trying to avoid.