Location analytics company Placed launched Placed Affiliate, a monetization platform for mobile app developers, in beta today. By using Placed Affiliate, mobile apps collect location data on users who opt-in, and can then monetize that data.

"Placed Affiliate does not impact the in-app experience with ads, rather it simply measures location for the purposes of market research," Placed founder and CEO David Shim told AdExchanger in an email. "What’s garnering the attention of app developers is the fact that Placed Affiliate is incremental to their existing monetization strategies, including advertising. This means that apps have the ability to double dip in terms of monetization opportunities without changing the in-app experience."

The data collected through Placed Affiliates is aggregated and used by Placed clients to better understand how consumers move around in the real world. They can use the data to identify target audiences, improve their websites and mobile apps, and influence their advertising and marketing.

In terms of privacy, Placed requires users to opt into the location tracking twice. First, the app must have location permissions in the original terms of service. Then, when the app is open, a notification saying that location is measured must appear. If a user taps cancel or close, Placed does not track that user. Additionally, the app must make sure users can easily access Placed's terms of service and privacy policy.

The pilot version of Placed Affiliate launched last month and the company is currently tracking 30 million locations a day, according to Shim.