FTC finds ‘staggering’ level of user surveillance by social media, streaming services

WASHINGTON (TND) — A report released by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Thursday revealed a widespread practice of user surveillance by social media platforms and streaming services.

The FTC in 2020 requested personal data information from nine major streaming and social services, such as Amazon, ByteDance and YouTube. Findings revealed a concerning trend of data monitoring by these companies, according to the FTC.

“The Status Quo Is Unacceptable,” report authors wrote. “The amount of data collected by large tech companies is simply staggering.”

They track what we read, what websites we visit, whether we are married and have children, our educational level and income bracket, our location, our purchasing habits, our personal interests, and in some cases even our health conditions and religious faith,” the report continues.

These companies, the report reads, are incentivized to gather “troves” of user data to drive advertising revenue. This abuse of data can fuel a service or platform’s rise to “market dominance,” allowing it to continue collecting such information seemingly unchecked.

Report authors called on Congress to pass federal privacy legislation to protect users. They also tasked companies with regulating their use of AI and algorithms so as not to infringe on user privacy.

Legislation and regulation are badly needed,” the report reads. “It is clear that when it comes to ensuring these firms’ AI systems do not result in unlawful discrimination, error, addiction, and other harms, self-regulation is failing.”

Instagram on Tuesday announced a “Teen Accounts” feature designed to protect minors using the service. Such accounts will feature privacy restrictions limiting account visibility and who teen users can receive direct messages from.

“We hope these changes give parents peace of mind about how their children use our apps and provide them with a clear, manageable way to keep tabs on their child’s smartphone use,” Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, said in a post on X.

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