Facebook will pay to listen to you
Facebook Viewpoints offering users cash for recordings
Facebook wants to hear what you have to say so badly that it’s willing to pay.
The company will offer some users the opportunity to make voice recordings in order to help Facebook improve its speech-recognition technology, The Verge reported.
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But don’t expect a big payday: Users who make five sets of recordings will earn just $5, according to the report.
Facebook is making the offer to users through its Facebook Viewpoints market research app. Users can participate in surveys and other tasks like making the recordings in exchange for points, and 1,000 points can be turned in for a $5 payout.
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In this case, users who participate will record the phrase “Hey Portal” followed by the first name of a friend on their Facebook friends list, according to The Verge. They will be able to record the names of up to 10 friends, and each must be recorded twice. Each set nets the user 200 points.
The program will only be available to adults in the U.S. with more than 75 Facebook friends, according to the report. And Facebook is rolling it out over time, so anyone interested in participating may need to check back later.
Facebook’s decision to pay users for audio recordings comes after several big tech companies have been caught listening to users’ private conversations. Google, Microsoft and Apple have all admitted to listening to some users’ audio. So has Facebook, which paid contractors to listen to voice chats and transcribe them.