Dado Ruvic/Reuters
Facebook has reportedly been paying teens to install a “Facebook Research” VPN on their phones that gives the tech giant access to potentially unlimited amounts of data—including private messages on social apps and location tracking feeds. According to TechCrunch, the “Research” iOS and Android app was part of an initiative called “Project Atlas” which aimed to one-up their competitors in the data game. Facebook reportedly sought third-party app beta testers that were separate from Apple's App Store to make the app available for download beginning in 2016. The social network also reportedly advertised the app to teens aged 13-17, promising $20 a month in exchange for keeping the app running on their phones and sending screenshots of their Amazon order history. Once users signed up, they reportedly agreed to let Facebook “collect information such as which apps are on your phone, how and when you use them,” and the social media giant reportedly said information would be collected “even where the app uses encryption.” Facebook told TechCrunch that the research was “aimed at helping Facebook understand how people use their mobile devices” and maintained that they don't “share this information with others and people can stop participating at any time.” Apple told the website they were aware of the issue, but provided no further comment.