The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has released a report highlighting concerns about how big tech companies handle user data, especially for children and adolescents. The 129-page study reveals that nine major social media and video streaming platforms engage in extensive data collection and surveillance without sufficient protections for minors. These findings raise significant alarms about online safety for youth, as reported by the KSAT.
The Federal Trade Commission's report scrutinizes major tech companies like Amazon (including Twitch), Meta (formerly Facebook), and YouTube. It points out a concerning contradiction where the pursuit of profit through targeted advertising undermines user privacy and safety, particularly for minors. While this practice is profitable, it poses risks such as identity theft and stalking, with current privacy protections described as "woefully inadequate."
Federal Trade Commission attorney Jacqueline Ford emphasized the gravity of the situation for teenagers: "We found that companies failed to adequately protect children and teens, especially teens who aren’t protected by federal legislation that protects children’s privacy online. Teens are treated the same as adult users," as per the KSAT report.
Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan pointed out the lucrative yet precarious nature of these surveillance practices, with companies evidently prioritizing revenue over users' privacy, according to the Federal Trade Commission's findings. "While lucrative for the companies, these surveillance practices can endanger people’s privacy, threaten their freedoms, and expose them to a host of harms, from identity theft to stalking. Several firms’ failure to adequately protect kids and teens online is especially troubling. The Report’s findings are timely, particularly as state and federal policymakers consider legislation to protect people from abusive data practices," Khan articulated in a Federal Trade Commission release.
The Federal Trade Commission's report not only criticizes but also offers actionable steps for lawmakers and companies. It recommends comprehensive federal privacy legislation to limit surveillance and grant consumers data rights. Additionally, the Federal Trade Commission urges companies to create and enforce clear policies on data collection and retention, specifically addressing the presence of child users. The Federal Trade Commission emphasized that companies should recognize that teens are not adults and provide them with greater privacy protections.
