What the Heck, Man?: Google's Screenwise

As this entry will show, "What the heck, man?" is a versatile phrase.  While in previous entries, I mostly used the phrase to signify a combination of surprise, frustration, and/or confusion, I bring it back to its most basic form for this entry.  Today, I am simply confused, trying to figure out what to make of this news:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/08/google-screenwise-project_n_1263128.html

Many internet users are aware of Google's privacy policy consolidation that has occurred in the last couple of weeks.  While the consolidation hasn't particularly affected my internet experience, there has certainly been some uproar from those who've read into the policy further who believe that Google is attempting to find a way to grasp more information from its users.  I'm not going to pretend to understand the policy fully, but the project in this article, Screenwise, does seem like an attempt to dodge the criticisms.

In short, it seems that Google's Screenwise is offering to pay internet users $5 in Amazon money (and up to $25, depending on how long you participate) to allow Google to access all of the data from users on Google's Chrome browser.  The fine print apparently also states that after a year (where you've presumably earned $20 through the program), payment methods will change.  All of this sets off an alarm in my head.

Maybe it's just a PR move.  More people are becoming aware of just how much of their information floats around on the internet now, and how much of that can be attributed to sites like Google and Facebook.  With the criticism fired toward their new policy, Google could be looking to boost their image once again as a "company for the people" with this idea.

Any time a website offers to give away something for free, I become skeptical.  OK, that's not completely accurate, but when it's in the nature of free money (and particularly, Amazon money), that's when I start to wonder what Google is attempting to gain from this.

Thus, as I try to figure this out, all I can say is... What the heck, man?