Facebook Paying Users in Exchange For Their Data

Facebook and controversies go hand in hand. Just last year, it was caught in a huge privacy scandal that brought Facebook a lot of hate; as it compromised the data of a lot of users. Looks like Facebook is caught in a similar scandal again. Reports show that Facebook is seeking people to test its research app. This is to spy on them in exchange of money.

Facebook did that to get data on its competitors, so the best way they thought they could accomplish it by asking the users for their data directly. The Facebook Research App, available for both Android and iOS. This App is installed through a website, which then installs certain certificates on your device. These certificates transfer data like your phone and web activity back to Facebook. This was compensated by an amount up to $20. 

Spotted first by TechCrunch, The program is administered through beta testing services Applause, BetaBound and uTest; to cloak Facebook’s involvement. The program is referred to in some documentation as “Project Atlas”- a fitting name for Facebook’s effort to map new trends and rivals around the globe.

Facebook’s Affair With Data Theft

In its report, The publication said “The strategy shows how far Facebook is willing to go and how much it’s willing to pay to protect its dominance — even at the risk of breaking the rules of Apple’s iOS platform on which it depends. Apple could seek to block Facebook from continuing to distribute its Research app, or even revoke it permission to offer employee-only apps, and the situation could further chill relations between the tech giants.”

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Facebook has had a reputation for not caring about users privacy over the years. When it acquired the mobile data counter Onavo, it helped them track user app data. This led to Apple banning the app last year. The app is still available on Android. Over that, this incident doesn’t help the reputation of Facebook and may tarnish it further. Facebook hasn’t released a statement yet.