Facebook will pay Americans (for now) to answer market research surveys, and insists it won't sell the data

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook wants to know more about you  though for now only if you are American.

The company is launching Facebook Viewpoints, a mobile app focused on market research that rewards users for responding to its surveys, it said in a blog post.

The first survey on Facebook Viewpoints offers a $5 reward.

Facebook

The app hosts several surveys, with users receiving points as a reward for completion. After a certain number of points is collected, Facebook says it will remit money directly into the user's PayPal account.
The data it collects will go towards improving Facebook's services, which include Instagram and WhatsApp.


Facebook said the first survey on the Viewpoints app studies the effects of social media on well-being. While Business Insider was unable to access the Viewpoints app, a screenshot shared by Facebook shows that the 15-minute survey lets users earn 1000 points, worth $5 (around R70) in real money.

"Information from this survey will help us build better products that aim to limit the negative impacts of social media and enhance the benefits," a post on the company website said.

The company said that Viewpoints is currently only open in the US, to anyone above the age of 18 with a Facebook account. It said that it aimed to expand to more countries next year, though it did not say which countries.

Transparency appears to be a priority for the new app: before participating in any survey offered by the Viewpoints app, users are given an overview of the information the survey will collect, how it will be used, and how many points they will receive for completing each program.

Facebook also says it will not sell information from this app to third parties, nor will it publicly share that information on Facebook or any linked accounts without permission. And users can end their participation in the program at any time, the company promises.