Facebook launches 'Study,' a program that pays for your data as part of research

Facebook volition soon first compensating people for participating in an app program that collects information from ads that are presented to the user.

In a news release, Facebook said it is "offer transparency, compensating all participants, and keeping people'southward information prophylactic and secure," through the new program called 'Study.'

Users will be given the option to register, and if they qualify, they're so invited to download the app.

Once they are invited, users will be able to find Report from the Facebook app.

The news release said the app volition inform users how it works and what information will be shared to the app. Users will then be able to again confirm if they want to participate.

"This is all accessible before participants provide any marketplace research data to the app," Facebook said. "Anyone who uses the app will be compensated for contributing to the research. Only people who are 18 and older volition be eligible to participate at launch, and all participants volition exist able to opt out at whatsoever time."

Facebook said information technology is working with Applause to manage the logistics of the market research plan. Adulation volition also be in charge of the registration procedure, all compensation to participants, and customer support.

Facebook intends to collect from users role of the plan details on apps installed on a participant'due south phone, the amount of time spent using those apps, the country that a person resides in, the device network they use and app activity names.

The app plan volition not collect user IDs, passwords, any content with respect to photos, videos or messages, Facebook said.

"We also don't sell information from the app to third parties or employ it to target ads, and information technology is not added to a participant's business relationship if they have one," Facebook said.

As of at present, the app program will merely be available in the U.S. and India and Facebook intends to aggrandize it to other countries.

"Approaching market research in a responsible mode is really important. Transparency and handling people's information responsibly have guided how we've built Report from Facebook. Nosotros programme to take this same approach going forward with other market inquiry projects that help us understand how people use different products and services," Facebook said.

This news comes at a time when Facebook has faced severe scrutiny for being involved in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The data breach involved the research firm that helped U.S. President Donald Trump win the 2016 presidential entrada by harvesting data from millions of Facebook users.

In Canada, over 600,000 people were affected.

Canadian lawmakers are currently trying to work with Facebook and other digital platforms regarding regulation.

Source: Facebook