The FTC’s investigation revealed that these companies collect data on users’ online activities, including browsing history, search queries, and even their location. They also gather information about their social media interactions, such as likes, comments, and shares. This data is then used to create detailed profiles of users, which are shared with advertisers and other third parties. The FTC’s report highlighted several key concerns:
## The Threat of Surveillance: A Growing Concern for Privacy and Mental Health
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chair, Lina Khan, has issued a warning about the growing threat of surveillance practices to individuals’ privacy and freedom. She argues that these practices, which include data collection, tracking, and monitoring, can have a range of negative consequences, including identity theft and stalking. Khan’s concerns are not unfounded.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has released a report detailing the failure of self-regulation by major tech companies. The report highlights the lack of effective enforcement mechanisms and the inability of companies to police themselves effectively. The FTC concluded that self-regulation has been a failure, citing examples of companies engaging in deceptive practices and failing to protect consumer privacy.
The agency’s investigation focused on the companies’ practices regarding data collection, storage, and sharing. The agency’s investigation was prompted by concerns about the companies’ potential for misuse of user data. The agency’s investigation found that the companies had engaged in practices that could be considered harmful to users.
This move is seen as a response to the Cambridge Analytica scandal and other privacy concerns. The Cambridge Analytica scandal, which involved the misuse of Facebook user data, exposed the vulnerabilities of social media platforms and sparked a global conversation about data privacy. The scandal involved the misuse of Facebook user data by a political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, to target voters with personalized political ads.
The companies used data to create profiles on users — often merging the information they gathered with information on habits collected on other sites — to serve up ads. The agency also found that many of the sites claimed they restricted access to users younger than 13, but many children remained on the platforms. Teens were also treated like adults on many of the apps, subjecting them to the same data collection as adults. Many of the companies couldn’t tell the FTC how much data they were collecting, according to the study. The FTC last year proposed changes to strengthen child privacy regulations and lawmakers are seeking to raise child privacy protections to users younger than 18. In 2022, Khan opened a regulatory effort to create rules for companies that show advertising based on users’ browsing or search history.
The agency has previously filed complaints against several tech companies for privacy violations, and reached a settlement of $520 million with Epic Games in late 2022 for allegedly violating a child privacy law and deceiving consumers with unwarranted charges. That same year, the FTC fined Twitter $150 million for using security data about users for behavioral advertising. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. © 2024 The New York Times Company
