I don't buy the author's argument that "everyone is doing it" doesn't hold water. The author mentions Interactive Brokers and Vanguard, the first being a HFT haven and the second being a non-profit.

When Robinhood first came out, I suspected they were skimming on the bid-ask spread, and that appears to essentially be the case, just through a third party.

Running trades isn't free, so I don't think it would surprise anyone that they found another way to make money. And it just so happens that it's pretty much the same thing most other brokerages do.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't really see anything nefarious going on.

I wish I was as skeptical about free products as I am about expensive products. Looks like Robinhood is just another tech company. Create a free product, store the data, wait for users to get locked in and later devise a scammy way to monetize it. Silicon valley why you no live up to your catchy slogans? ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)

My opinion on HFTs with Robinhood It honestly doesn't matter. Every brokerage has some kind of deal with HFTs. Retail investors already have many disadvantages compared to institutions and this small "disadvantages" won't outweigh the benefit of free commissions.

I have seen many articles across other social platforms chastising Robinhood with its dealings with HFTs. I realized that there's no free lunch man. we need to realize that fast markets aren't our enemy.