• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, June 11, 2019

Facebook just debuted a new market research app, which it believes more closely reflects the expectations of consumers.

Dubbed Study from Facebook, the new offering emphasizes transparency, data safety, and compensation for all participants, according to Sagee Ben-Zedeff, Product Manager at Facebook.

Facebook plans to run ads to encourage consumers to participate in the new market research program.

When users click on an ad, they’ll have the option to register and -- if they qualify -- be invited to download the app. Once invited, they should then be able to find the Study from Facebook app in the Google Play Store.

All participants will be given a detailed description of what information will be collected, and how it will be used, according to Ben-Zedeff.

“This is all accessible before participants provide any market research information to the app,” he notes in a new blog post.

At launch, only consumers 18 or older will be eligible to participate. The new app will only be available to people in the United States and India.

All participants will be able to opt out at any time. Anyone who uses the app will be compensated for contributing to the research, according to Ben-Zedeff.

To manage the logistics of the research program, Facebook has enlisted the help of longtime partner Applause, which will manage the registration process, all compensation to participants, and customer support.

With Study from Facebook, Facebook does not plan on collecting user IDs, passwords, or any of the participant’s content, such as photos, videos, or messages.

“We also don’t sell information from the app to third parties or use it to target ads. It is not added to a participant’s Facebook account if they have one,” Ben-Zedeff said.

For Facebook, the launch of the new app follows a decision made earlier this year to shift its focus to reward-based market research programs.