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In light of the approaching local elections, there is growing concern in Albania regarding the app's privacy and whether it is truly "voluntary" as the Socialist Party claims.
“For all those who want to become a voice in society, want to be initiators or supporters of causes in their communities,” Aktiv1st advertises itself as a “virtual community” app.
When the app was unveiled a year ago, Albania's ruling Socialist Party put it in a more succinct manner: It stated that it is a "tool of communication" for party activists, local media reports.
Those activists earn points for engaging with the app's content, which includes new stories that take users to Socialist Party officials' Facebook and Instagram pages.
The Socialist Party, which faces local elections in the middle of May, appears to be using the app to raise its social media profile.
However, critics are suspicious due to the app's lack of specific "terms of service" and indications that it may not be as "voluntary" as the party claims. In the past, the party has used such technology to collect data on potential voters and manipulate social media.
Two people working in the public sector, one at the municipal level and the other in a central government body, told BIRN that they had been told to be as active as possible on the app. One claimed that 20,000 points had been the goal for the previous three months. For fear of being fired, the employees spoke on condition of anonymity.
Points are earned for sharing content, commenting, and clicking. When a user creates an account by entering their name, surname, and residence, they are awarded the first twenty prizes.
Both users stated that they were informed that their activity was being monitored, but neither of them knew what was offered in exchange for using the app. One person stated, "It's just an app, like Facebook."
The app has almost certainly raised eyebrows, not least because when a user clicks on "terms of service," instead of explaining how the app uses their data, only Albania's Data Protection Law is displayed.