By Susan Tompor
Publication Date: 2025-12-04 12:05:00
Dec. 4, 2025, 7:05 a.m. ET
- Google has a device usage study involving everyday consumers to understand ‘how users interact with the internet.’
- Consumers should take more care in reading privacy policies, especially when asked to participate in device-related surveys.
A strange flyer from Google arrived in mailboxes recently and had some Michigan consumers wondering what was up.
Google apparently is promising gift cards — if consumers who receive such mailers agree to enroll their smartphones to start sharing all their web and app activity for a “Device Usage Study.”
You’d get $20 — or 2,000 in points — for signing up. Over time, you might be able to earn up to $540 —or 54,000 in points — during a year for each participant in your household. (The program notes that 100 points are worth $1.) You can earn points each week and redeem the points for gift cards.
Sure, you’re getting gift cards. Right when many people are thinking about how they’ll pay for holiday shopping and heating…
