You can now earn money by letting Facebook harvest your private data.

You can now earn money by letting Facebook harvest your private data.

Facebook has launched a new app which will pay users to allow the social network to collect data on how people use their device and the apps downloaded to it.

 The new app, called Study from Facebook, will collect data on the amount of time spent using the apps on a device, as well as the names of activities used inside different apps and the participant’s country, device and network type.

 Facebook said it would recruit participants by running adverts for the app, which people will be able to click on and register their interest, and if they qualify they will then be invited to download the app from Google Play Store. The app will only initially be available to people in the US and India.

 ‘Market research helps companies build better products for people. We believe this work is important to help us improve our products for the people who use Facebook,’ Facebook’s Sagee Ben-Zedeff said in a blog post on the new app.

 ‘We also know that this kind of research must be clear about what people are signing up for, how their information will be collected and used, and how to opt out of the research at any time.

 ‘We have a responsibility to keep people’s information safe and secure. With this app, we’re collecting the minimum amount of information needed to help us build better products. People often have a lot of apps on their phone, so we’ll periodically remind participants that they are a part of the program. They’ll also have the opportunity to review the information they’re sharing with us.

 ‘Study from Facebook does not collect user IDs, passwords, or any of the participant’s content, such as photos, videos, or messages. We also don’t sell information from the app to third parties or use it to target ads, and it is not added to a participant’s Facebook account if they have one.’