Free App Is Not That Free

(1/8/2013) I bet 99% of smartphone users use free apps. It is free, but the users 'pay' later. This good article talks about the hidden cost of free app, which has become the major business model for many mobile app developers. I have a lot of free app, though I rarely use 70% of them. Afraid of personal identity stolen? I thought my ID have been sold millions times already. Apps are like computer software, you will never know whether it is good until you use it. Apps do not provide limited-time-usage free trail to users (I don't know why). However, I don't even trust the app developers of those apps I really purchases. Won't they sell my data?

So, do consumers have other options to avoid ID being sold? Or it is too late already?