https://blog.margrop.net/en/tag/%E4%BA%92%E8%81%94%E7%BD%91/ Recent content in 互联网 on Margrop Blog Hugo -- gohugo.io en-US Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0800 https://blog.margrop.net/en/post/who-pays-for-the-free-internet/ Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0800 https://blog.margrop.net/en/post/who-pays-for-the-free-internet/ <p><img alt="The payment chain behind a free click" src="https://blog.margrop.net/post-images/who-pays-for-the-free-internet/01-hero.webp"></p> <blockquote> <p><strong>The short answer:</strong> a free website is not cost-free, and it is rarely a charity. You may not pay at checkout, but advertisers, subscribers, merchants, enterprise customers, donors, and investors may be paying at different points in the system. Users also contribute value, just not always in dollars: attention, time, behavioral signals, content, and part of their control over what they see next.</p> </blockquote>