Facebook is shutting down its controversial Onavo VPN app, and will end its practice of conducting unpaid market research programs, TechCrunch reports. Although paid research studies will continue through other means, the company says it will ensure users explicitly understand their privacy implications. The Android version of the Onavo app has now been removed from the Play Store, although will remain functional for existing users for a short while longer.
'Existing studies will continue, although they’re not accepting new participants' According to Buzzfeed it was this app that gave Facebook the data it needed to understand the popularity of the rival WhatsApp service. After seeing the amount of messages people were sending through WhatsApp, the company grew to understand the threat it posed to Facebook Messenger, and later acquired it for $16 billion.