Wesfarmers has announced that it has acquired some of the technology behind Unlockd, the app which launched last year giving customers in the Wesfarmers owned FlyBuys rewards program the chance to earn points by looking at ads on their lockscreen.
Unlockd was placed into voluntary administration earlier this year, due to the removal of its app from the Google Play store, due to infringements of Google’s marketplace rules surrounding displaying ads. The removal from Google Play due to the restriction of what was at it’s core, a fundamental part of the Unlockd business effectively limited the businesses reach and forced the companies hand.
Though in liquidation in Australia, Unlockd has reportedly launched legal action against Google in the UK through its local subsidiary. The Unlockd creditors report saying ‘UK action is subject to a Stay of Proceedings until March next year pending securing of litigation funding.
Where the technology will be utilised isn’t particularly clear, though Wesfarmers has advised that they are looking to utilise the technology to continue to allow customers to earn FlyBuys points using it. Regarding the future use, Alex Chruszcz, FlyBuys General Manager said
Flybuys is always looking to find new and meaningful for our members to collect points they can redeem for a variety of rewards including money off their shop or travel. We’re pleased to be able to offer members even more ways to collect flybuys points by simply viewing advertisements videos or quick surveys.
With Unlockd in liquidation, WesFarmers and FlyBuys will need to be careful to adhere to the Google Play Store developer guidelines surrounding displaying ads before moving forward with plans. We’ll be keeping a keen eye on how this pans out.
