Privacy Matters

Privacy is not a luxury. It's a fundamental right. Yet every day, we trade it away without thinking. Clicking "agree" on terms we don't read, using services that track our every move. But it doesn't have to be this way. Services like fearly.eu prove that you can use the internet without being tracked.

The question isn't whether you care about privacy. It's whether you know what you're giving up.

Photo by Mark Attree

The Real Cost of Free Services

When a service is free, you're not the customer. You're the product.

Take URL shortening. When you shorten a link on Bit.ly or TinyURL, they don't just create a short code. They track every click. They log when people click, where they're from, what device they use. They store IP addresses and build profiles of your sharing behavior. All of this data is stored and monetized.

Every click generates data. That data has value. And it's being harvested and sold, often without your knowledge.

A Different Approach

A privacy-first service like fearly.eu works differently. You paste in your URL. You get a short link. That's it. No tracking. No surveillance. No hidden data collection.

Photo by Jason Dent on Unsplash

Behind the scenes, the difference is concrete. fearly.eu uses encrypted connections (SSL/TLS). Data stays on EU servers under GDPR protection. IP addresses aren't logged or stored. Clicks aren't tracked and profiled. No cookies are placed. No data is sold. You can generate QR codes for your links without any tracking either.

Your links work permanently. That's all the service does. It doesn't need to harvest your data to function.

GDPR: Your Rights

In Europe, privacy is a right. GDPR gives you concrete protections: the right to know what data is collected, the right to delete it, the right to object to how it's used.

But GDPR only works if companies follow it. Many don't. They hide tracking in fine print or claim privacy while doing exactly what everyone else does.

This is why it matters what services you choose. Some companies build privacy into everything from the start. Others pay fines and keep tracking anyway.

Practical Steps Today

Use privacy-focused alternatives. For URL shortening and QR code generation, choose services like fearly.eu that don't track you. Check their policies. Ask: Do they track clicks? Where is data stored? Do they sell data? With fearly.eu, the answers are clear: no tracking, EU-hosted, no data sales.

Know your rights. Under GDPR, you can ask any company what data they have about you and demand deletion. These aren't courtesies—they're legal obligations.

Vote with your choices. If a service respects privacy, use it and tell others. Companies respond to what users actually do.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

The Choice Is Yours

Privacy isn't dead. It's just rarer because most companies make more money from tracking you than from respecting you.

But alternatives exist. Services like fearly.eu that don't track, don't sell data, and don't treat you as a product. EU-hosted. GDPR-compliant. Built on a simple principle: your information belongs to you.

It takes a conscious choice. But it's possible. And it's worth it.

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