The URL Is Bait. The Login Wall Is the Real Product.
You click a link seeking an answer, but instead of knowledge, you hit a login wall. You think this wall is a barrier to the content. It’s not. The wall is the actual product. Platforms aren’t selling you knowledge—they are harvesting your identity and behavioral data using your curiosity as bait. The URL is just the hook; the real transaction happens before you read a single word.