Get paid to scroll TikTok? The data trade behind Freecash ads
In January 2026, an app called Freecash shot up to the number two spot on Apple’s free iOS chart in the US, helped along by TikTok ads that resemble job offers from TikTok itself. The ads promised up to $35 an hour to watch your “For You” page. TikTok claimed the ads violated its rules on financial misrepresentation and removed some of them.
Once you install the app, the promised TikTok paycheck vanishes. Instead, Freecash routes you to a rotating roster of mobile games—titles like Monopoly Go and Disney Solitaire—and offers cash rewards for completing time-limited in-game challenges. The setup is designed not to reward scrolling, as it claims, but to funnel users into games where they are likely to spend money or watch paid advertisements. Freecash’s parent company, Berlin-based Almedia, describes the platform as a way to match mobile game developers with users likely to install and spend. The CEO has publicly discussed using past spending data to steer users toward genres where they are most “valuable” to advertisers.
The privacy issue is concerning. Freecash’s privacy policy allows the automatic collection of sensitive information, including data about race, religion, sex life, sexual orientation, health, and biometrics. Additional mobile games you install to chase rewards come with their own privacy policies, tracking, and telemetry, increasing the behavioral data these companies can harvest about you. Experts warn that data brokers already trade lists of individuals likely to be more susceptible to scams or compulsive online behavior—profiles refined by such apps.
When asked about the ads, Freecash stated that the misleading TikTok promotions were created by third-party affiliates. They promised to review and tighten partner monitoring. Users should find this pattern familiar: enticing promises of easy money, a bait-and-switch into something more challenging than advertised, and a business model that becomes clear once you realize your attention and data are the real products. Such schemes also appeal to younger people or those under financial pressure, offering tiny payouts while generating more value for advertisers and app developers.
To protect your privacy, gather information about the company before giving your data. Create a separate account with a dedicated email address and avoid real personal details if testing a service. Limit online information sharing to what makes sense for the purpose. Be cautious about app installs framed as necessary to earn the promised money and review permissions carefully. Use an up-to-date real-time anti-malware solution on all your devices. Remember that free money often does not exist.