Facebook has launched an app that will pay users for the information

Facebook launched an application on Tuesday that will allow users to share information with the social network about the apps they use.

Previously, the company had two similar applications that tracked people's activities on their mobile phones. But they were canceled after being criticized for violation of privacy and violation of Apple App Store standards.

Facebook said the new application, called Study, is different from the other two and was created from scratch. And it's only available on the Google Play Store, although Facebook said it could be extended to iOS in the future.

The new application will compile information about the applications that users use and the time they use, including the features they use. This could give Facebook a glimpse of how people are using competitive services.

Facebook is badured that it will not follow pbadwords or the user name, and that it will periodically remind people that the application is collecting information about you.

One of the company's previous apps, called Research, was in trouble this year when it was determined in a report that teenagers were using it and escaping Apple's rules. Apple has removed it from its app store and Facebook has finally canceled it completely.

The other application, called Onavo Protect, was a virtual private network service used to protect the confidentiality of information in public places. She also collected information about the use of the app and pbaded it on to Facebook. Also this application has been canceled.

Facebook seems to be acting more transparently this time, said Lance Cottrell of cybersecurity firm Ntrepid.

"They are less intrusive with this," he said, noting that Facebook was careful not to compile some of the most sensitive information from users' phones, such as photographs and web searches.

The Study app is currently available in the United States and India. Facebook has not specified how much it will pay participants to share their information.