A report claims that Facebook “was breaking Apple’s policy” by paying up to $20 a month to users for root network access to all data passing through their
Highlights:
It seems that Facebook hasn’t learnt from its mistakes. It is already shrouded by several controversies related to data theft, yet new reports of spying and data collection activity crop up ever so often, putting the data protection claims of the Menlo Park-based company under the lens. In the latest development, it is alleged that Facebook was spying on teenagers through an app by accessing all the data passing through their phones in exchange of up to $20 a month. Apple has now banned the app.
According to TechCrunch, Facebook has been secretly paying people to install a “Facebook Research” VPN that gives it access to users’ data and web activity. The report claimed that Facebook sidestepped the App Store and “rewarded” teenagers and adults to download the Research app. Reportedly, Facebook admitted that it was running the Research programme to gather data on usage habits.
The report says that since 2016, Facebook has been paying users from ages 13 to 35 up to $20 per month plus referral fees to sell their privacy by installing the iOS or Android “Facebook Research” app. “Facebook even asked users to screenshot their Amazon order history page. The program is administered through beta testing services Applause, BetaBound and uTest to cloak Facebook’s involvement, and 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,” the report mentioned.
