FTC Report Exposes Extensive User Surveillance by Social Media and Online Video Firms

The FTC report reveals that major social media and online video firms—Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Discord, Reddit, Amazon, Snap, TikTok, and Twitter/X—conduct extensive surveillance on users. Between January 2019 and December 2020, these companies collected vast amounts of personal data, including age, gender, income, and marital status. This information was shared with third parties for targeted advertising.

Users have limited control over data collection. Most firms feed personal information into automated systems for content and ad delivery. Few offer comprehensive opt-out options. Notably, none provided a full list of data recipients to the FTC.

The report criticizes data-minimization practices as inadequate. Some companies failed to delete data upon user request, even when required by law. The FTC recommends federal privacy regulations to address these issues.

Discord and Google disputed the findings. Discord claims its model differs, emphasizing user privacy controls. Google asserts strict privacy policies, prohibiting ad personalization for minors and "made for kids" content.

The FTC's report underscores the need for stronger privacy protections. It highlights the disconnect between corporate claims and actual data practices, urging legislative action to ensure user data is handled responsibly.