Go learn this report on an app that turns intelligence gathering into gig work

Smartphones helped popularize the trendy gig economic system, and a new report from The Wall Street Journal suggests some firms like Premise have discovered a brand new strategy to reap the benefits of staff attempting to make extra cash — turning them into unwitting spies for company and army shoppers.

As Journal reporter Byron Tau writes, Premise was initially began “to register prices in the developing world and help its customers better understand the needs of the population.” But the corporate reportedly discovered much more success having contributors carry out TaskRabbit and Mechanical Turk-esque work like finishing surveys, taking pictures of places, and strolling particular paths, whereas often scooping up details about close by Wi-Fi networks and cell towers.

That won’t instantly ship up the largest pink flags, however Premise was additionally apparently paying contributors in Afghanistan to determine and {photograph} Shiite mosques within the metropolis of Kabul, which is tough to not see as just a little suspicious. Premise advised Tau that photographing non secular websites is a typical job used “to help clients understand the physical and social geography of a place,” however the Premise contributor Tau spoke to was involved they’d been requested to finish duties that concerned spying.

Needless to say, there’s loads about Premise’s shoppers and proposed enterprise companions (trace: a few of them personal fighter jets) that appear a minimum of considerably regarding, even when on paper Premise can declare it’s not working a distributed CIA. If you need the story in all its stunning horror, you should read the full report for all the data Tau dug up.