This archive report was first published on 25 November 2019.
Facebook has taken a step to address criticism over its data collection practices by introducing a new app called Viewpoints. The app, launched in the US, pays users for participating in surveys that will help improve Facebook's products, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and the core online social network.
According to Erez Naveh, product manager at Facebook, the Viewpoints app will be used to gather insights directly from people who use Facebook's products. This move is seen as a way to make products better and to curb negative effects of social media.
Users who sign up for the Viewpoints app will be invited to participate in programs, with the first one being a well-being survey. The survey aims to gather insights that can be used to enhance the benefits of social media and reduce its negative effects.
Personal information such as name, age, gender, and country of residence will be gathered while setting up Viewpoints accounts. However, Facebook assures that it will not sell users' information to third parties and will not publicly share their Viewpoints activity on Facebook or other accounts without their permission.
Viewpoints is currently available to US Facebook members, but the company plans to expand it to more countries next year.
