Two months back, the Neon app soared to the top five of app download charts on a promise to pay you for recording and sharing your phone calls, then abruptly went offline. It now has quietly returned to the iOS App Store and the Google Play store with a new version that makes it functional again.
In late September, the company that makes Neon disabled the app after the news site TechCrunch discovered a security flaw that allowed access to other people’s call information. The app’s founder, Alex Kiam, said at the the time Neon would address the security issue and return later with a bonus for users.
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Since then, the app has begun working again on Android and in iOS. The company is offering users a 30-cents-per-minute rate up to $30 through 5 p.m. ET, Thursday, Nov. 6. The regular rate outside that window is unclear.
The company also compensates for referrals to the service, but has not been specific on what that payment will be. Previously, it said it was offering $30 for referrals.
Neon sells the recordings to companies training AI models, which are hungry for real-world input. The company says it anonymizes call information.
What’s changed with Neon?
The biggest change with the relaunch of the app is that Neon now only records and pays for calls to other Neon app users, essentially making it an automatic opt-in service. Previously, there were questions about whether recording calls in some states would require notification and consent from those receiving calls from someone who has the Neon app installed. By shifting to an app-to-app business model, Neon may be able to ease those legal concerns.
In an interview with CNET in early October, Kiam said his New York-based company was overwhelmed by the sudden popularity of Neon, but not completely surprised.
“I expected things to grow pretty quickly because, you know, we’re giving people free money,” Kiam said. “And I think we’re getting people money for something that they would do anyway. … We felt confident that there was real demand for something like this.”
Privacy experts CNET spoke to warned against using the app in its previous incarnation over call consent laws, and also noted that AI could infer user information or identities even if call data is anonymized.
