The social media giant is introducing a brand new scheme – accessible only to subscribers in the U.S.A. and Republic of India – which will pay specific users for sharing their internet habits.
The research initiative, known as ‘Study’ is a program that FB is
introducing to legally get information concerning
users’ internet browsing
and app downloads, because it tries
to tune its platforms and apps to current user trends and habits.
The move additionally comes at a time when there are world concerns around information privacy and how some of the worlds prime internet corporations had been lawlessly gathering user data without taking subscribers’
consent.
Facebook said it’d “collect
and analyze” data, which would include apps installed on a participant’s
phone, the amount of time spent using those apps, and the user’s country, device
and network sort.
“We’re providing transparency, compensating all participants, and
keeping people’s data safe
and secure,” Facebook’s global product
manager Sagee Ben-Zedeff said in a post.
However, the post doesn’t mention how
much a user are going
to be paid for sharing
his phone’s data, which Facebook guarantees won’t be given out to any
outside company, or third-party developers.
Also, the firm has said it’ll not
collect a user’s ID, passwords, or other content like photos, videos, or messages.
Giving info on how it’s new ‘Study’
program will work,
Facebook said it’ll run ads which will encourage folks to participate.
“When somebody clicks
on an ad, they’ll
have the choice to
register and, if they qualify, they’ll be invited to download the app. Once invited,
they’ll find the Study
from Facebook app in the Google
Play Store. As they sign up, people will see an
outline of how the
app works and what data they’ll
be sharing with us so that they can ensure they want to
participate.”
It is not yet clear whether
or not iPhone users will
also get access to the paid initiative. Facebook says that only people higher than the age of 18 will be eligible
to participate, and all participants will have the choice to opt out at any time.
“We attempt to take this approach going forward with other research projects that facilitate us understand howindividuals use
different products and
services.”