Question 1

What is Swash?

Accepted Answer

Swash is an ecosystem of tools and services that enable people, businesses, and developers to unlock the latent value of data by pooling, securely sharing, and monetising its value.People share their data to earn while retaining their privacy.Businesses access high-quality, zero-party data in a sustainable and compliant way.Developers set up and build systems within a collaborative development framework with ease.As the world’s leading Data Union, Swash is reimagining data ownership by enabling all actors of the data economy to earn, access, build and collaborate in a liquid digital ecosystem for data.

Question 2

How does Swash work?

Accepted Answer

When you use Swash, data you already give away for free is captured while you surf. Swash pools your data together with the other Swash members to create a Data Union. When data buyers, like advertisers, brands, data scientists, and other businesses, purchase the data from that Data Union, its members receive their share of the value generated.Data is unique - it becomes more valuable when more of it is available. For the Swash community, this means their data will become more valuable as the movement grows, so don’t forget to tell your friends.

Question 3

What is the difference between Swash and giant data collectors?

Accepted Answer

Swash puts the individual first. We want to democratise, decentralise, and demonopolise the data economy.As Swash members have to opt-in to join the movement, it means that Swash data is ‘zero-party’. Basically, they have control and can choose to actively share their information. This data is highly valuable to data buyers, who use it for things like making data-driven business decisions, to accelerate innovation, and for research.Swash data is much more reliable and higher-quality than most data out there, as it’s given with full knowledge and consent. Others tend to use shady collection methods and it’s all a bit of a mess, whereas Swash’s data is clean and transparent.The Swash Data Union is unique and diverse. It consists of data from a range of websites, browsers, geographies, and audiences, all without the usual data silos that dominate the existing data economy.

Question 4

Do I need to understand crypto for this?

Accepted Answer

No, you don’t need to understand anything about cryptocurrencies to be able to get started. You can install the browser application to try the Swash app and join the Data Union today.It takes just a few minutes to install, then you simply use the web as normal. When you’re ready to put your Swash tokens to use, you can choose to withdraw them, donate them, stake them, or exchange them for other rewards. Just follow the guides within the ‘Help’ section of the extension.

Question 5

Which platforms and web browsers does Swash work on?

Accepted Answer

Swash currently works on the desktop version of Firefox, Chrome and all Chromium-based web browsers like Chromium, Microsoft Edge Insider, Brave, UC Browser, and Opera. We’re working on expanding to Android and iOS, so watch this space.

Question 6

Why does the ‘Get Swash' button on your website always redirect me to the Chrome store only?

Accepted Answer

The 'Get Swash' button automatically redirects you to the web browser you’re using, but the default is Chrome.

Question 7

Should I be concerned about my privacy when using Swash?

Accepted Answer

No, privacy is one of the most important values for Swash. Swash has completed a full Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which has been reviewed by legal and academic third parties in several geographies.Swash is also an accredited member of the Data & Marketing Association (DMA) in the United Kingdom. To obtain membership status, Swash had to undergo a meticulous independent audit of its data gathering and management processes carried out by the DMA.
The accreditation provides a badge of honour, recognising Swash as a company and product which meets the high standards set out by the DMA to ensure compliance with regulatory standards for data handling and usage. 
As the only Data Union with membership status, this milestone marks an important endorsement of our data processing methods from a regulator-recognised third party.

Question 8

How does Swash keep my data anonymous?

Accepted Answer

We don’t create any relationship between your identity and your data. Your only identifier is your Ethereum wallet address and a random unique identifier. The wallet address is used for authentication and payment purposes and the unique identifier is set according to your privacy level.

Question 9

How can I be sure that usernames and passwords are safe and are not added to the Data Union?

Accepted Answer

Swash doesn’t collect any details like your username or passwords, so you don’t need to worry. Check out the privacy policy for more details on the data Swash does collect. You can also check the ‘Data’ tab within the extension to choose which data items you want to share or not.

Question 10

Can I see who buys or uses my data?

Accepted Answer

Whenever a buyer buys the product, a transaction will be logged on the Ethereum network. Everyone can track the transactions in the Ethereum network and find the buyer's wallet addresses, but it doesn't mean you can find out who is behind the address.

Question 11

Can I use Swash in private mode?

Accepted Answer

When you install Swash, you will be prompted to choose if you would like the extension to work in private windows. If yes, click on the box next to ‘Allow this extension to run in Private Windows’. For more information about Firefox extensions in private browsing check this link and for Chrome extensions in private browsing check this link.Note: As there are some limitations in private mode, some Swash functionalities may not work properly.

Question 12

What currency do I earn?

Accepted Answer

You will earn Swash’s native token, SWASH, when you use Swash. You can read more about the token use cases in our whitepaper or in this blog

Question 13

How does Swash make money for its creator team?

Accepted Answer

The Swash team receives a share of the data sales to be able to keep growing. The rest is shared among Data Union members. For the Swash browser application, 70% of earnings go back to members.As more people join, the more valuable Swash data is for buyers. This means that members will continue to receive more for their contributions as the ecosystem grows.

Question 14

Can I donate my earnings to charity?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Within the app, click on ‘Donations’ and select which charity you would like to donate to. You can also choose what percentage of your earnings you’d like to donate and how often. Read this blog for more information and don’t forget to share your chosen charities on social media and tag Swash.

Question 15

Does everyone get tokens proportional to the quantity of data they contribute?

Accepted Answer

Currently, Swash members receive an equal distribution of tokens. However, the team is working on a proportional revenue distribution mechanism so the ecosystem is even fairer.

Question 16

Why won’t Swash stay on after I installed it on my web browser?

Accepted Answer

It may be due to corruption in Swash local storage. If closing and opening your web browser doesn’t fix the issue, you should uninstall the extension and install it again.

Question 17

How can I get support or submit a bug?

Accepted Answer

Please contact the technical team at dev@swashapp.io.

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