Google winds down program that let you trade usage data for gift cards

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Google Logo dark (Image credit: Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Google is ending its Audience Measurement program.
  • It's also killing the associated Screenwise Meter app that granted the company access to user data in return for rewards.
  • Users have until December 2nd to redeem all their remaining rewards.

Google is killing off Screenwise Meter, an app that it used to track user engagement with their screens, hence the name. It was an audience engagement program that rewarded users 18 and above with gift cards. Users would in turn provided the company with valuable data.

The app is now being killed off by December 2nd, and Google is encouraging all users to retrieve their rewards by that time (via Android Police).

A Google page for the program now reads:

Audience Measurement has ended

  • Since the end date, you haven't been metered or earned reward points.
  • We emailed you to let you know that Audience Measurement ended.
  • Please uninstall the Screenwise Meter app.

Screenwise was an app that flew under the radar for a long time compared to something like Google Opinion Rewards. When it came out that Google had acquired iOS users for testing by using its Enterprise Certificate to bypass the App Store, that created a controversy which led to the company issuing a public apology. Google disabled the app on iOS devices at that time, and now the program as a whole is dead and gone.

Michael Allison