The neon appknown for its pay-to-call-recording app model, has returned to the iOS App Store and Google Play after a suspension that sparked a debate about privacy and security. In this new phase, Neon only allows the recording and payment of calls between users of the app itself, a change that seeks to respond to criticism and legal issues that have arisen since its launch.
Growth in Neon The top five downloads in September were marked by controversy. The ability to generate income by recording phone conversations has attracted thousands of users, but it has also put the company and its founder, Alex Caliunder the scrutiny of the public.
The situation escalated when a security flaw was discovered that allowed other users’ recordings, transcripts, and metadata to be accessed, leading to a temporary suspension of the program. At the time, Kiam assured that the issue would be fixed and that Neon would return with more incentives for users.
After the relaunch, Neon offers an advertising bid of Recorded 30 cents per minutemaximum 30 USDvalid until 5:00 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, November 6. There is no word on what the normal course will be after this period ends.
Meanwhile, the company maintains a system of compensation for the recommendations of new users, although the current amount is not specified; There used to be an award 30 USD for each successful referral.
Business model Neon based on sales call records companies that develop and train security systems artificial intelligence. These systems require real data to improve their performance.
The company says it anonymizes call information before selling it. Terms of Service, updated November 3establish that users grant Neon the right to “sell and offer for sale” entries for the purpose of developing, training, testing and improving machine learning models and related technologies.
In addition, the Company reserves the right to publicly display, reproduce and distribute the Recordings in any format and through any communication channel.
Neon’s relaunch was a response, in particular, to warnings from privacy experts who noted the risks associated with consenting to the recording of conversations and the possibility that artificial intelligence could extract personal information even from anonymized data.
In the previous version, the app allowed the recording of calls to any number, which raised questions about the legality of the process in jurisdictions that require the consent of all parties. By limiting the recording of calls between Neon users, the company aims to reduce these legal and technical risks by turning the app into an automatic subscription where both parties know and accept the terms.
Alex Califounder of the company in New Yorkadmitted that the Neon’s initial popularity exceeded his expectations, though he didn’t find it entirely surprising. According to his vision, the proposal to offer financial compensation for everyday activities such as talking on the phone responded to a real demand in the market, which explains the rapid growth of the application in the first weeks.
