Facebook will now pay users who let it track their phones

Social media giant Facebook is launching a new market research app where it will pay users for letting it spy on their phones and give access to what they do on their devices.

Facebook announced via its blog post on Tuesday that will begin paying people in order to monitor how they use their phone through a new app called ‘Study’.

The app will monitor which apps are installed on a person’s phone, the time user spends using those apps, the country they are located, and additional app data that can disclose specific features the user is using, among other things. However, Facebook clarified that it won’t see any specific content including media, IDs, messages, passwords and the website user visits.

Facebook reportedly paying people to gain complete access to their phones

Study will only be available to people aged 18 and above – with the ability to opt out at any time –, and will also be available only on Android phones, where deeper phone access can be granted by each user. The app will open with a series of screen detailing the type of data the app will collect and how it will be used.

The user’s age will be cross-checked by referencing the age on their Facebook account. Moreover, the participants are also required a PayPal account in order to get paid. Also, other data will be reference about the user when analyzing data from the app, however, the data won’t be linked to their accounts or to target ads towards the user.

Furthermore, the social media giant didn’t mention the amount it will pay, but assured that ‘all research participants are compensated’. Study will initially be launched in the US and India. Facebook will run ads to attract participants. The users will be targeted through an ad, and if they see one, they will be able to sign up by clicking on it.

“We plan to take this same approach going forward with other market research projects that help us understand how people use different products and services,” wrote Facebook.