"Free" WiFi is rarely free. You often pay with your data, your attention, or your security. Here is how to use it without getting burned.
Free hotspots frequently log your device, sell aggregate data, or inject ads into pages you visit. Some are run legitimately; some exist specifically to harvest what passes through them.
Use it safely
Avoid banking and shopping on networks you do not control, keep file sharing off, and switch on a VPN. A tunnel makes the hotspot a dumb pipe that carries your encrypted traffic and learns nothing from it.
