TechCrunch revealed in January 2019 that Facebook's 'Research' app (successor to Onavo Protect) paid users aged 13-35 up to $20/month to install a VPN that gave Facebook root-level access to all phone activity — browsing history, private messages, emails, app usage, and location data. Facebook distributed the app through beta testing programs to circumvent Apple's App Store review. Apple revoked Facebook's enterprise certificate, temporarily disabling all internal Facebook iOS apps. This was part of Facebook's competitive intelligence operation to identify and copy rival apps.
Facebook paid teens $20/month to install a VPN that gave Facebook complete access to their phone activity
“Facebook is literally paying teenagers to install spyware that monitors everything they do on their phones — every message, every app, every website.”
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⏳ The Vindication Timeline
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Confirmed: They Were Right
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Confirmed: They Were Right
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