FTC Report on Streaming and Social Media Companies Emphasizes Privacy, Security, and AI-Related Risks

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission published the results from its 6(b) study on streaming and social media companies, detailing vast commercial surveillance of consumers—including non-users—for the purposes of monetizing of their personal information. The study, first announced in December 2020, focused on companies including Amazon (which owns Twitch), Meta, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Snap, ByteDance (which owns TikTok), Discord, and Reddit.

The report, “A Look Behind the Screens: Examining the Data Practices of Social Media and Video Streaming Services,” calls on Congress to enact comprehensive federal privacy legislation and measures to protect teen users online. The report also recommends that companies implement data minimization practices (including limits on collection, sharing, and retention); that they not use ad tracking to collect sensitive information or target ads in a discriminatory manner; that they let consumers choose how their personal data is used for or by algorithms and allow them to correct their data; that they test and monitor their of automated systems; and that they view the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) as the bare minimum for protections for child users. The report also emphasizes the antitrust implications of how companies treat consumers with respect to data, privacy, and AI.

The FTC’s 6(b) authority empowers the agency to conduct wide-ranging studies of businesses’ conduct and to publish what it discovers where disclosure would serve the public interest. In September 2020, EPIC joined 27 groups urging the FTC to study data-driven bias and discrimination in all forthcoming 6(b) investigations. EPIC has long advocated for increased regulation of commercial surveillance practices and encourages the Commission to use all of its authorities to protect consumers.