Facebook is trying out a new feature that will allow users to tap into free Internet access, by using the 'Check-In' feature on their personal pages that notifies Facebook connections about their whereabouts.
As part of a new pilot, Facebook will give routers to businesses to permit users to access that business' wireless Internet network — but only if they use the 'Check-In' function that notifies friends in their social network of their whereabouts.
"We are currently running a small test with a few local businesses of a WiFi router that is designed to offer a quick and easy way to access free Wi-Fi after checking in on Facebook," a company spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.
Once the user is logged onto the WiFi, the user is then directed to that business' Facebook page.
Customers that do not want to check in on their Facebook page, or who do not have a Facebook account, can still access WiFi from the company's routers by entering a password for the network.
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