A new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) staff report has unveiled extensive data collection and monetization practices by major social media and video streaming platforms, including Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and others. The report, based on responses to 6(b) orders issued in 2020, shows that these companies engage in vast surveillance of users, gathering and retaining personal information, while inadequately protecting user privacy, particularly that of children and teens. The report highlights concerns over these platforms' failure to comply with user data deletion requests and their use of privacy-invasive technologies like pixels to target advertisements, which is at odds with privacy protections.
FTC Chair Lina M. Khan emphasized the risks posed by these data practices, including potential harm to privacy, freedom, and security. The report also raised concerns about the platforms’ impact on mental health, particularly for young users, and questioned the companies’ claims regarding the absence of child users. It further noted that these firms prioritize data collection to achieve market dominance, limiting consumer choice and competition. The report concludes with recommendations to policymakers, urging comprehensive federal privacy legislation and stricter data-handling policies, especially regarding the protection of children and teens online. The FTC commissioners voted unanimously to issue the report.
