Twitter will soon be peeking in on your smartphone. Literally.
The social network says it will start collecting data on which apps its users have downloaded onto their phones. The update is opt-out, meaning Twitter will start collecting this information from users automatically unless they explicitly tell it otherwise.
Twitter says the reason for the update is simple: It’s trying to learn more about its user base so it can make more money selling ads.
The company’s business model is dependent on targeted advertising, and while Twitter can already determine some things about its subscribers based on what they tweet and whom they follow, the information is still limited, especially compared with Facebook’s extensive set of data.
The move will also help Twitter improve the content recommendations it offers. In the past few months, Twitter started showing tweets to users from people they didn’t follow, using an algorithm to identify tweets its new users may like. Twitter also recommends people for users to follow based on who else is in a person’s network. Knowing which apps its users have gives Twitter another signal.
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The social network says it will start collecting data on which apps its users have downloaded onto their phones. The update is opt-out, meaning Twitter will start collecting this information from users automatically unless they explicitly tell it otherwise.
Twitter says the reason for the update is simple: It’s trying to learn more about its user base so it can make more money selling ads.
The company’s business model is dependent on targeted advertising, and while Twitter can already determine some things about its subscribers based on what they tweet and whom they follow, the information is still limited, especially compared with Facebook’s extensive set of data.
The move will also help Twitter improve the content recommendations it offers. In the past few months, Twitter started showing tweets to users from people they didn’t follow, using an algorithm to identify tweets its new users may like. Twitter also recommends people for users to follow based on who else is in a person’s network. Knowing which apps its users have gives Twitter another signal.
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