Facebook paid users to track smartphone use: Report

An investigation by the online news site TechCrunch said the effort, which had been known as the Onavo Protect and later rebaptized as Facebook Research, was used to gather data on usage habits.

By: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
| Updated on: Aug 20 2022, 13:09 IST
Facebook paid users, including teens, to track their smartphone activity as part of an effort to glean more data that could help the social network’s competition efforts.
Facebook paid users, including teens, to track their smartphone activity as part of an effort to glean more data that could help the social network’s competition efforts. (REUTERS)

Facebook paid users, including teens, to track their smartphone activity as part of an effort to glean more data that could help the social network's competition efforts, according to a new report that may raise fresh privacy concerns.

An investigation by the online news site TechCrunch said the effort, which had been known as the Onavo Protect and later rebaptized as Facebook Research, was used to gather data on usage habits.

You may be interested in

MobilesTablets Laptops
7% OFF
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • Black Titanium
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 256 GB Storage
5% OFF
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
  • Gold
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
Apple iPhone 15 512GB
  • Black
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 512 GB Storage
12% OFF
Apple iPhone 13
  • Blue
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage

Apple told AFP on Wednesday that it revoked software certificates letting Facebook take part in its Enterprise Developer Program to work in-house on applications for the Cupertino-based company's devices.

Also read
Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here.

"Facebook has been using their membership to distribute a data-collecting app to consumers, which is a clear breach of their agreement with Apple," Apple said.

The news could be a further embarrassment for Facebook, which has been under heightened scrutiny over failing to crack down on manipulation of its platform and for sharing private data with its business partners.

Facebook said it shut down the application on Apple's iOS on Wednesday after the TechCrunch article was published. It remained unclear if it remained active for Android users.

The report said the initial Onavo app was shuttered for violating Apple's privacy policy and that the newer version may also contravene Apple's terms.

The program paid users ages 13 to 35 up to $20 a month for "root" access to their devices to track their location, app usage, spending habits and other activity.

In a statement to AFP, Facebook said there was "nothing secret" about its efforts, and that Onavo and Facebook Research were separate programs.

"It wasn't 'spying' as all of the people who signed up to participate went through a clear on-boarding process asking for their permission and were paid to participate," the Facebook statement said.

"Finally, less than five percent of the people who chose to participate in this market research program were teens. All of them with signed parental consent forms."

The project may have allowed Facebook to scoop up more data about younger users as it fends off a challenge from rival services like Snapchat, which has become more popular than Facebook among US teens.

 

Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on Whatsapp channel,Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

First Published Date: 31 Jan, 08:41 IST
NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS