Facebook on Monday introduced “Viewpoints” in the US, an Android and iOS App that pays members of the social network for taking part in surveys.
Facebook has a terrible history of collecting heaps of user data and doing a frightful job of keeping it safe. But if you are for some reason comfortable with giving Facebook even more data, Viewpoints app is a way to help you do it.
Facebook Viewpoints is a survey app that awards points for participation in which when you get enough points, Facebook will give you some money to get spend on airtime or data.
On the surface, it seems like a harmless survey app that actually benefits responders by paying them for their time and effort but, as with anything Facebook, we are never aware of the implications until it’s too late.
However, the social media company’s new market research app will be used to improve the Facebook “family” of offerings including Instagram, WhatsApp, Portal, Oculus and the core online social network, according to product manager Erez Naveh.
To use Facebook Viewpoints, the company is also laying out its privacy policy for the app, detailing the information it will collect. You’ll have to provide information like your name, email address, country of residence, date of birth, and gender, which are only open to people 18 years of age or older.
There is also “additional information” that includes location and some things Facebook may decide to add after. It does promise not to sell the data to third parties or publish activities to Facebook feeds. Although, the app can also pull that from your Facebook account, which is the only supported login method at this time.
Once your details are taken down, you’ll be invited to “programs,” which are surveys that award a set number of points. Reach 1,000 points, and Facebook sends you $5 via PayPal, although we do not know how easy it is to attain these points.
Considering that Viewpoints is only for improving Facebook products like Instagram WhatsApp, and Facebook itself, the company says it’ll be careful with your data (for real this time), and it won’t sell it to third-parties.
“We believe the best way to make products better is to get insights directly from people who use them,” Naveh said in an online post.
“We also won’t publicly share your Facebook Viewpoints activity on Facebook or on other accounts you’ve linked without your permission.”
Those of you who will set up accounts in the Viewpoints app will be invited to take part in programs, the first a well-being survey intended to gather insights that can be used to curb negative effects of social media and enhance its benefits, according to Naveh. It seems that surveys will be thematic and scheduled, so don’t expect an instant payout just by answering one survey.
At the moment, Viewpoints is only available to US Facebook members, but the California-based internet giant plans to expand it to more countries next year.
