What is the Kantar Scope app?

It is an application which you will install on your Android mobile device that will collect information regarding your online activities during the time while you have it installed. 

What will the Kantar Scope app do?

This application will collect data regarding online browsing activities and the advertising you are exposed to on your device.  While the app is installed, you should do whatever you normally do with your mobile device. Please don’t change anything. Just keep Kantar Scope active on your device to collect your incentive.

Why do we want this information for this research?

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the UK’s advertising regulator.  It sets rules to prevent ads from misleading, harming or seriously offending their audience.  As part of its work, it tries to keep to a minimum the number of unsuitable ads seen by children.   

Kantar, on behalf of the ASA, is conducting research to identify the categories of advertisements being seen by children online, including within social media account environments, to help develop its regulation in this area.

We’re looking for children aged 11-15 and young adults aged 16-17 to take part. They must have their own Android device (mobile/tablet) that they use to access the internet and their own account for at least one social media platform.

What data is collected?

We are collecting data related to your browsing behaviour, device usage, system information and advertising exposure. The Internet data gathered is known as clickstream data. Clickstream data includes information such as the URLs of websites you have viewed, the date and time you viewed the web pages, the duration of each visit, the search terms you enter on a web page and the adverts you are served. For more information, please read our detailed Privacy Policy.

Is personal data also recorded?

The Kantar Scope app and our internal systems are outfitted with technical privacy rules designed to avoid the collection of certain types of personally identifiable or sensitive information, such as your location, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and information such as passwords for online accounts. Despite our efforts, some information might get through our rules and processes. Our rules and processes are reviewed and upgraded periodically by our analysts to identify new types of personally identifiable information and sensitive information and to prevent them from being inserted in our database. If it happens that we identify such information in our database, this information will be immediately deleted.

Can the app read my emails/SMS or listen to my calls?

No, the app is not capable of reading or recording data within emails or messages or listening or recording any voice and video conversations.

Can the data be linked to me?

Please be assured that all data will be shared in anonymous form without being linked to you as a person.

Is my data safe with you?

We understand that there is often concern about personal data being misused. The data transfer and storing process is very secure using industry standard encryption.

How do I install the Kantar Scope app?

Please refer to our instructions.

On which devices can I install the Kantar Scope app?

The Kantar Scope application is available on Android devices using operating system version 7 and above

Do I have to use the device I have installed the app on?

Yes, please install the app on the main Android device(s) that you use.

What will the app look like on my device?

The app logo will appear on the toolbar along the top of your phone alongside your other
apps. From time to time, you will also see the key logo denoting that you are connected to the secure VPN.

What is a VPN?

VPN stands for "Virtual Private Network" - it is a profile on your device to through which all internet data generated by your device is directed through to enable us to collect the clickstream data.

What does the VPN do?

The VPN captures activity through a device’s web browser and apps that use the web. To do this, all Internet activity are routed through the VPN to obtain the specific URLs visited.

How do I install the VPN?

Please refer to our detailed instructions.

How do I know the VPN is active?

If the VPN is active, you will see a 'key' in the top right of the status bar. If you do not see this, try locking and unlocking your phone, also check your notifications, as you might be required to reconnect it.

Will the VPN slow down my Internet?

The VPN has been rigorously tested and has not been found to slow down a device’s Internet performance in any noticeable way.

What is a VPN CA certificate?

CA stands for Certificate Authority. These digital certificates are data files used by web browsers to authenticate content sent from web servers, ensuring trust in content delivered online.

Why do I need to install the CA Certificate?

We collect your browsing data via the VPN. The CA certificate associated with our VPN allows secure traffic (https/SSL) to still be sent and received by your device. The VPN processes data on your device and the data we receive is run through established technical privacy rules and processes designed to avoid as much as possible the processing of personally identifiable information and sensitive information as outlined in our Privacy Policy.

Does the CA Certificate allow the collection of passwords or credit card details?

Our VPN (and CA certificate) allows the collection of your clickstream browsing data. Legitimate website publishers are highly unlikely to include data such as passwords or card details in the URLs that we can collect. However, to further protect this type of data, we also have established technical privacy rules and processes to avoid as much as possible the processing of this data as outlined in our Privacy Policy.

How do I install the required Certificate on my mobile device?

For Android devices on Operating System version 11 and above there is a requirement to save and install a CA certificate for the VPN. The steps to do this can vary by manufacturer but an instructional video is included in the installation steps and further information is available in our instructions

Do I need to have a PIN lock screen on my mobile device?

Most devices will already use a PIN lock screen but this will be required while you have the VPN installed on your device.

Can the app interfere with my device or usage?

The Kantar Scope app will sit in the background of your mobile device and will be on all the time. The app uses minimal memory capacity and other resources on your device. The application will have very little effect on the battery on your phone. We are constantly working on improving the app, and the app has been rigorously tested.

How much data does the Kantar Scope app consume?

The app is designed to consume as little data as possible when sending data back to the servers. Approximate data consumption amounts per month are less than 2MB per month.

Please note, all data is routed through the app, some data measuring tools will indicate that the app is using a large volume of data, however, this is just your regular Internet and app data.

Will the app impact on the battery life of my device?

The app is designed to have as little impact on battery as possible, however, as with any app, it does have a small impact on battery life. The impact on battery life can vary slightly depending on your device and operating system.

How do I remove the application?

Please refer to our instructions.