Facebook's Viewpoints app will pay users cash for survey answers

Facebook is hopping on the “we’ll pay you to take surveys” train, joining the likes of Swagbucks, InboxDollars, Prize Rebel, and many more. Facebook announced this week that it’s launching a new market research app called Viewpoints that will pay users to participate in specific programs. 

What is Facebook Viewpoints?

This new feature allows users to take surveys, test products, complete tasks, and participate in other research that will be used to gain insights on ways to improve Facebook products. These products include Facebook itself, as well as  WhatsApp, Instagram, Portal, and Oculus. 

So, what is in it for users?

Users accumulate points for each program they participate in. After users reach a certain number of points, they will receive a payment connected directly to their PayPal account. 

How to get started

If you are over the age of 18, you will need to download the Viewpoints app and link your Facebook account before you can start earning points and getting cash. Once your account is created, you will then be invited to join programs. Users under 18 will not be allowed to participate. 

Before you start a program, Viewpoints will explain exactly what information it will collect, how it will be used, and how many points you will get after you complete any given task. After you reach a certain number of points (which Facebook will specify), you will get your rewards in your PayPal account.

The first survey for all participants is a well-being survey intended to “limit the negative impacts of social media and enhance the benefits.” It will take about 15 minutes to complete and will give you 1,000 points, which is equal to $5. 

That may not seem like a lot, but the more programs you participate in, the more money you will earn. You can use that extra cash to feed your expensive cold-pressed juice or Starbucks obsession!

Privacy concerns

As most of us have seen in the news over the past few years, Facebook has been derided by the U.S. government and citizens the world over about its lack of data privacy. Many users are already skeptical of any Facebook app, so how will they feel about Viewpoints?

Facebook is upfront about the information it will collect from you, such as your name, email, birthdate, gender, and possibly your location, depending on which survey you take. As mentioned above, Facebook will also tell you which information will be collected from each survey.

In terms of selling your data, Facebook states “We won’t sell your information from this app to third parties. We also won’t publicly share your Facebook Viewpoints activity on Facebook or on other accounts you’ve linked without your permission. And you can end your participation at any time.”

The future of Viewpoints

The launch of Viewpoints got my fellow IMPACTer Connor DeLaney thinking about what the long-term goal of the app is. He said: 

Viewpoints looks like an innovative tool to get Facebook more actionable feedback on their tools, technologies, and affiliated apps, such as WhatsApp and Instagram.

However, with the launch of new services on Facebook such as News, I could see [Viewpoints] becoming more about making users stay on the platforms and using Facebook’s tools than gathering feedback.

While the launch of Viewpoints starts with a ‘well-being’ survey, activities will expand to have users perform tasks and do research, which makes me question the future goals of the tool. With Facebook’s massive audience, will the app eventually expand to external products as well?

Like Connor, I too am wondering what the bigger picture is for Viewpoints and what the app could potentially evolve into. Data is extremely valuable in today’s society because big tech companies, like Facebook, are hungry for market research to continually improve their offerings and sell more ad space.