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.Children aged 13 through 17 can join with a parent or guardian’s consent. A minor, according to Google, can enroll in the program, but they cannot sign up as the first participant in the household. They need to be invited by an 18+ adult. Is Google taking advantage of people’s desperation ?
