Study explores data protection measures of 'free' digital business models

The digital innovation laboratory, LINC, of France's data protection authority, the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés, published results of a study exploring whether websites and mobile apps based on a free business model are less privacy protective. The study reviewed 350 of the 5,000 most-visited digital services in France. It found paywall business models "stand out as the most intrusive," while the "freemium business model" follows. It also notes "social networking, messaging and blogging applications" suggest "risks to privacy even for particularly personal" features.