Make money by documenting your phone conversations and sharing them with third parties? It may seem unsettling, but this app has rapidly ascended the App Store rankings.
Neon Mobile is a fresh application for iOS and Android devices that is swiftly gaining traction, as per mobile app charts. In the Apple App Store, Neon holds the number 2 position for free Social Networking applications and the number 4 spot among all free applications.
So, what exactly is Neon, and why are so many users turning to download it? Here’s what you should know.
What is Neon?
It’s straightforward: Neon captures users’ phone calls and compensates them for it.
Why does Neon seek to record your phone calls? To gather your data and sell it to outside entities.
Neon is upfront about its intentions. On its website, the app creators mention they sell your anonymized data to “companies training AI.” Neon asserts that they eliminate all personal data, ensuring that no identifiable information is shared with these AI firms.
Neon’s appeal to users is clear-cut.
“Telecom companies capitalize on your data, and we think you deserve a portion,” asserts Neon’s website.
According to Neon, the app solely records the Neon users’ end of the conversation. The person being called by the Neon user is not recorded unless they are also a Neon user.
Neon compensates users 15 cents for every minute spent talking to a non-Neon user and 30 cents per minute for discussions with another Neon user. Users can earn up to $30 daily from calls and unlimited income from referring others to Neon, with each referral yielding $30.
To hit the $30 daily limit from calls, a user would need to talk to Neon users for 100 minutes or non-Neon users for 200 minutes each day.
Is Neon legit?
Neon seems to have garnered funding from Upfront Ventures, as noted by Neon founder Alex Kiam. As TechCrunch highlights, the company appears to function from a New York City apartment. This isn’t inherently a cause for doubt, as numerous startups have launched from modest beginnings.
Nonetheless, there are some apprehensions. Neon Mobile shares limited details about the company on its website. Alex Kiam only refers to himself as “Alex” on the site.
The company claims to safeguard your private and identifiable information on a “trust us” basis, but specific details regarding Neon’s measures to ensure anonymity are scarce.
User reviews for Neon on the App Store and Google Play are mixed, with users reporting difficulties using the app or receiving payments. It remains unclear whether these are isolated cases or more prevalent issues.
TechCrunch also noted that Neon’s privacy policy and terms provide the company with extensive rights over user content:
…worldwide, exclusive, irrevocable, transferable, royalty-free, fully paid right and license (inclusive of the right to sublicense through multiple levels) to sell, use, host, store, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform (including via digital audio transmission), communicate to the public, reproduce, alter for formatting purposes, create derivative works as permitted in these Terms, and distribute your Recordings, in whole or in part, across any media formats and through any media channels, in each case whether currently known or developed in the future.
Neon also provides exceptions to its guarantees regarding beta features, which may contain glitches.
Furthermore, Neon presents conflicting payout information. On the App Store, it states it pays 45 cents per recorded minute and $25 per referral, contrary to the 30 cents per minute and $30 per referral stated elsewhere.