The US Federal Trade Commission said in a report released on Thursday that social media companies collect, share and process vast amounts of information about their users while offering little transparency or control, including over artificial intelligence. How it is used by the systems involved.
The report analyzed how the Meta platform, ByteDance’s TikTok, Amazon’s gaming platform Twitch and others manage user data, concluding that data management and retention policies at many companies were “grossly inadequate”.
The FTC report also included YouTube, social media platform X, Snap, Discord, and Reddit, though its findings were anonymized and did not disclose the practices of specific companies. YouTube is owned by Alphabet’s Google.
Discord, a communications platform, said the report brings together very different business models into one category, and that it did not offer advertising when the study was conducted.
An X spokesperson said the report is based on practices from 2020 when the site was known as Twitter, which X has since rectified.
The spokesperson said, “X takes user data privacy seriously and ensures that users are aware of the data they are sharing with the platform and how it is being used, including when it is collected from their accounts. An option to limit the data carried is provided.”
Only 1 percent of X’s current U.S. users are between the ages of 13 and 17, the spokesperson said.
Other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The FTC said social media companies collect data through tracking technologies used in online advertising and by purchasing information from data brokers and other means.
FTC Chair Lena Khan said, “While profitable for companies, these surveillance practices can jeopardize people’s privacy, jeopardize their freedom, and expose them to a variety of threats, from identity theft to stalking.” Can cause harm.”
Data privacy, especially for children and teenagers, has been an important issue. The US House of Representatives is considering bills passed by the Senate in July that aim to address the effects of social media on young users. And Meta recently introduced teen accounts that include advanced parental controls.
Meanwhile, big tech companies are struggling to acquire sources of data to train their emerging artificial-intelligence technologies. Data deals are rarely disclosed and often involve private content being locked behind paywalls and login screens, leaving users who post it with little or no notice.
In addition to collecting data about how users engage with their services, most of the companies reviewed by the FTC collected users’ age and gender or inferred it based on other information. The FTC said some also collected information about users’ income, education and family situation.
The FTC said the companies collected data on individuals who did not use their services, and that some companies were not able to identify all of the ways the data was collected and used.
Advertising industry groups criticized the report Thursday, saying consumers recognize the value of ad-supported services.
“We are disappointed that the FTC continues to engage in ‘large-scale commercial surveillance’ of the digital advertising industry,” said David Cohen, chief executive of the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Member.
© Thomson Reuters 2024
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