Meta famously loves to scoop up its users’ information, putting it towards… various purposes. There’s no reason to expect that Waddle World, a cutesy “AI pet journal” app, won’t be put to similar use. The social media platform has launched the app in the Philippines (so far), on both Android and iOS.
Meta hasn’t made an official announcement about the journalling app yet. That, and its limited reach, suggests that it’s just a test for now. To see what it can get away with. The company did something similar with Storykit, a children’s bedtime app, earlier this year. That one still hasn’t officially launched.
Waddle World of information
The point of Waddle World, according to the official description, is to “[h]atch a virtual pet, visit whenever you like, and let it get to know you.” It’s being sold as a cosy experience, where users talk to the AI-powered virtual critter about themselves. It’ll ask at least one question a day (Meta describes these as “silly”), and if you’re bored, there are low-stakes games to waste time on.
Meta never launches anything without a reason, so Waddle World has immediately made us suspicious. An AI journal app, where users are explicitly expected to share information about themselves, sounds like the sort of hack that makes Mark Zuckerberg salivate. It’s one way to get at the data that people wouldn’t think about posting on social media. After all, who wouldn’t share their innermost secrets with a cute virtual mascot that responds to what you’re telling it?
The digital companion is positioned as an understanding ear, with moods and personality quirks. The app also explicitly collects user interactions for advertising, marketing, and personalisation purposes. That might also explain why Waddle World is currently confined to users over eighteen in the one location it’s officially available.
