Now you can use Facebook and earn while sitting at the comfort of your home thanks to the new New Facebook Research App. The social media giant has launched an app called “Study from Facebook” that’ll pay users who would be interested in sharing the data related to their phone usage. Read on as we explain how can you access the New Facebook Research App Pays You For Your Data.
Earlier this year, a TechCrunch report stated how Facebook’s Research and Onavo VPN programs were illegally storing sensitive and private data belonging to the participants while using it to target ads and paying around $10 to $20 to each user. However, Facebook was forced to kill both the programs after several reports hit the internet. However, this new “Study from Facebook” app seems a little different and it has been added to the Google Play Store for Android users with crucial principles and that are safety, transparency, and fair compensation.
According to the report by TechCrunch, the app will be available on Android only and in India and the U.S. and that too for a selected 18+ participants that Facebook will itself recruit by showing ads on Facebook and other sites (for non-Facebook users). Once the user clicks on the ad, he/she will get to know what the research project will collect data for such as a full root access to users’ app activities, time spent on each app, features used in all Facebook and other apps, country, network type, and device among other data.
Note that unlike the previously used Facebook Research app that somewhat tricked users into signing up before they can find out what they were taking part in, the Study from Facebook app will not use any VPN or SSL bumping or such practices but rather it will use standard Google approved APIs and will not snoop or store user’s content including user IDs, photos, messages, videos, passwords, etc. The app won’t use the data collected to achieve targeted ads while it will not sell the data to third-party which is kind of what Facebook has listed under its ‘Transparency’ principle.
In theory, the app would allow social media giant Facebook in shaping its product lineup such as it could use the data obtained from participants into knowing what’s hot and introduce the same within its family of apps. It will also allow Facebook to stay away from features or apps that are not that attractive or wouldn’t stay afloat such as Houseparty that was recently acquired by Epic Games.
Anyways, Facebook hasn’t discussed any details related to remuneration which seems ironic considering its core principles, however, it wishes to pay fairly this time around. Participants would need PayPal accounts to get their payments though. If you are willing to participate in ‘Study from Facebook’ app, you must be on a hunt to look for relevant ads which seem to be the only way to get hired at least in the U.S. and India, the two participating countries at the moment. Facebook will gradually add support to the revamped research app for other countries as well.
