We all know that Google can keep track of what their users are looking at via the web, services, and Android devices. As much as we all hate that fact, it is what comes with all this data that we can retrieve in seconds. Google wants more than that though. 100% more to be exact, by paying users to collect all the web usage they are using daily.

In comes the Screenwise Data Collector. A little internet black box if you will (shown above) that some users will be paid to have this installed in their households. It acts as a WiFi access point, that monitors all traffic in the household. Apparently it only grabs the data of the “household’s web access,” and not devices such as game consoles. That is a little fishy to me. Something tells me it can monitor what you are downloading, say on your PS3 or XBOX. I guess we will take “their word” on that though.

Google started their data collecting program, by luring users through emailing them, offering add-ons to their browser and then offering a $5 Amazon gift card. Offer free anything, people will come. People who decide to get the little black box, will be paid $100 dollars for signing up and $20 dollars a month every month the box is inside their house. Being paid to surf the web? Many people will be sold on this.

To me, I would not even think about participating in this. I am all right for them monitoring what a search for at a daily basis, but to put an actual device inside my house, connected to my network is just pushing it. What do you guys think? Would you let them put this box in your house to monitor your web usage for money? Head over to the Ars Technica page for more details.

Source: ArsTechnica.com