Facebook unveils paid research program to track competition

Facebook Inc. wants help keeping tabs on competitors, and is willing to pay users to do it. The social giant Tuesday unveiled a new research app called Study that will collect data on which smartphone apps people download, what features they use inside those apps and how much time they spend on them. Facebook said it will promote Study through advertisements on the social network and elsewhere, and users must be 18 years or older to participate.

Facebook said it will compensate those who download Study, but a spokeswoman declined to share more details. For now, the app will only be available in the U.S. and India.

The company isn’t new to this kind of research, and uses it to monitor competitors, learn about emerging trends and even identify popular startups as potential acquisition targets.