Facebook pays teens to install VPN that spies on them

    Facebook pays teens to install VPN that spies on them

    Facebook pays teens to install VPN that spies on them


    Posted: 30 Jan 2019

    Desperate for data on its competitors, Facebook has been secretly paying people to install a “Facebook Research” VPN that lets the company suck in all of a user’s phone and web activity, similar to Facebook’s Onavo Protect app that Apple banned in June and that was removed in August. Facebook sidesteps the App Store and rewards teenagers and adults to download the Research app and give it root access to network traffic in what may be a violation of Apple policy so the social network can decrypt and analyze their phone activity, a TechCrunch investigation confirms.

    Facebook admitted to TechCrunch it was running the Research program to gather data on usage habits.

    Since 2016, Facebook has been paying users 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.

    Seven hours after this story was published, Facebook told TechCrunch it would shut down the iOS version of its Research app in the wake of our report.

    But on Wednesday morning, an Apple spokesperson confirmed that Facebook violated its policies, and it had blocked Facebook’s Research app before the social network seemingly pulled it voluntarily without mentioning it was forced to do so.

    “We designed our Enterprise Developer Program solely for the internal distribution of apps within an organization,” said a spokesperson. “Facebook has been using their membership to distribute a data-collecting app to consumers, which is a clear breach of their agreement with Apple. Any developer using their enterprise certificates to distribute apps to consumers will have their certificates revoked, which is what we did in this case to protect our users and their data.”


    Read more: Facebook pays teens to install VPN that spies on them TechCrunch
    Brink's Avatar Posted By: Brink
    30 Jan 2019


  1. Posts : 17,838
    Windows 10
       #1

    This, compared with:

    Facebook Designing Security for Billions - Windows 10 Forums

    What a joke!!!

    Facebook pays teens to install VPN that spies on them-000022.png

    Over 2 billion people should have signed out of Facebook permanently a long time ago!!!
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 750
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bits
       #2

    Facebook, like others, sucking up user data for a long time by now, pretty much for free. So, what's wrong with people making 20 bucks a month for the same?

    I guess the Alphabet company signed a different agreement with Apple, read more costly, for making Google the default search engine for Safari and Siri. But hey, the image search is still with Bing...
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 26,406
    Windows 11 Pro 22631.3296
       #3

    Edwin said:
    This, compared with:

    Facebook Designing Security for Billions - Windows 10 Forums

    What a joke!!!

    Facebook pays teens to install VPN that spies on them-000022.png

    Over 2 billion people should have signed out of Facebook permanently a long time ago!!!
    Their user base has been declining for about 4 or so months. Someone looking for a job would be foolish to have a FB account.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 102
    Windows 10
       #4

    The biggest thing that got me was that these people (they say teenagers, but the age range goes up to 35) accepted this deal for just 20 bucks. How could anyone think they are only worth 20 dollars? I would say that I would consider allowing them to do that if they offered me something closer to a million dollars a week.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 4,453
    Win 11 Pro 22000.708
       #5

    Demonlord4lf said:
    The biggest thing that got me was that these people (they say teenagers, but the age range goes up to 35) accepted this deal for just 20 bucks. How could anyone think they are only worth 20 dollars? I would say that I would consider allowing them to do that if they offered me something closer to a million dollars a week.
    From Winston Churchill:

    “Churchill: "Madam, would you sleep with me for five million pounds?" Socialite: "My goodness, Mr. Churchill... Well, I suppose... we would have to discuss terms, of course... "
    Churchill: "Would you sleep with me for five pounds?"
    Socialite: "Mr. Churchill, what kind of woman do you think I am?!" Churchill: "Madam, we've already established that. Now we are haggling about the price”
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 1,680
    X
       #6

    1. My children stopped posting there, so why do I need it anymore?
    2. It has been driving more and more advertising than in the past, so why do I need it anymore?
    3. They're spying and spying and spying, so why do I need it anymore?

    1. I don't need it!
    2. I don't need it!
    3. I don't need it!

    I deleted my facebook account early last year. Done. Forever.
      My Computer


 

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