Facebook will pay some users to not use its apps before November election

KGO logo
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Facebook will pay users to deactivate account for a while
According to the tech company, about 400,000 users will receive up to $120 to opt out of using Facebook or Instagram for one to six weeks.

Facebook will reportedly pay some of its users to quit using its app for a while.

It's part of a study into the impact of social media on political attitudes and behaviors during the upcoming election, which Facebook announced on Monday.

But the Washington Post later reported that those users could be paid up to $120.

The paper posted a screenshot of a survey sent to some Instagram users.

It tells them that if they opt in, they would deactivate their Facebook or Instagram accounts later this month. The accounts would be inactive for either one or six weeks, and some users would then have to take a survey before their accounts are re-activated.

Facebook expects up to 400,000 people to take part in the research.

The company says the study will be done by independent researchers who are not paid by Facebook, and the findings are not expected to be published until at least the middle of next year.

Copyright © 2024 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.