Once again, Facebook is paying users to track smartphone activity
A few months back, Facebook drew major flak for running an app that paid teenagers in exchange for tracking their smartphones. The app gave the company root access to their phones but was eventually discontinued amid ethical concerns. Now, the company has launched a similar app for adults while stressing three core principles - 'safety, fair compensation, and transparency'. Here's all about it.
'Study by Facebook' market research app
Continuing from where the old app left off, 'Study by Facebook' aims to monitor smartphone activity of people - to collect data on competing apps and features. The program, if joined, will monitor which apps are installed on your phone, how much time you are spending on those apps, what features you may be using, and your country, device, and network type.
Particular focus is on 'transparency' this time
Facebook claims its past market research experiences have shown what people expect from apps like this, and they're delivering just that. For one, the company says it will warn people about the kind of data that would be collected through the app not just before but also after joining the program. Plus, they'll have the option to review the data collected and opt out anytime.
Also, the data will be kept 'safe'; no content-monitoring
Along with transparency, Facebook has also said it will keep the data of the participants safe and secure. The company says it is collecting the 'minimum' amount of information required for this kind of research and will not collect any content from the apps. This includes in-app items like photos, videos, and messages as well as critical data like user IDs and passwords.
No word on the compensation amount
The company has clearly said it will pay the users who agree to share how they use their smartphones. However, it has not given a word on how much it would pay to the participants. To recall, last time around, Facebook paid $20 per month for gleaning data out of smartphones of teenagers.
People in US and India will be able to apply
In the early stages, Facebook will try the market research app with users in India and the US. The company will run ads on the internet to get people, aged 18 or above, onboard for the program. They would need to sign up for the program, post which the company will determine their eligibility and invite the participant to download the app.
