Lokesh Ahuja, AVP at Nykaa, has shared a cautionary story on LinkedIn. He recently taught his mother how to use UPI payments. He came across something that rang an alarm bell.<\/p>\n
Scrolling through her phone later, Ahuja spotted several AutoPay mandates. She unknowingly subscribed to multiple services through free trials<\/a>. These offered zero cost during the initial 30-day period. However, they automatically charged users afterwards unless cancelled promptly.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd most people never notice a \u20b979 deduction. Because it quietly disappears inside an account statement with a hundred other UPI<\/a> transactions. That’s the real product behind a free trial. Not the first free month,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n Lokesh Ahuja reflected on shifting parental concerns across generations. Parents once worried about children crossing roads safely. Now, children worry about their parents navigating the internet safely instead.<\/p>\n \u201cStrange how our parents once worried about us crossing the road. Now we worry about them crossing the internet,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n He later added, \u201cEarlier, the biggest risk was buying the wrong thing. Today, it’s agreeing to something you didn’t fully understand. AutoPay mandates, app permissions, location access, recurring subscriptions.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Ahuja, they’re all \u201ctiny decisions\u201d made in seconds. However, such decisions may trigger something for a longer period.<\/p>\n \u201cDigital literacy is no longer just about knowing how to use technology. It’s also about knowing what you’ve agreed to,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Social Media Reaction<\/p>\n