FTC to investigate Facebook, Reddit, Snap and others’ data collection practices

The Federal Trade Commission said on Monday that it is seeking information from Amazon, WhatsApp, Facebook, Google subsidiary YouTube, TikTok owner Bytedance, Discord, Snap, and Twitter about how they collect, use, and present personal data they collect on their users. The companies were sent the order and they have 45 days to respond to the orders

The FTC is seeking to learn how these companies “collect, use, and present personal information, their advertising and user engagement practices, and how their practices affect children and teens.”. 

“Despite their central role in our daily lives, the decisions that prominent online platforms make regarding consumers and consumer data remain shrouded in secrecy,” Commissioners Rohit Chopra, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Christine S. Wilson said in a joint statement.

“… Policymakers and the public are in the dark about what social media and video streaming services do to capture and sell users’ data and attention. It is alarming that we still know so little about companies that know so much about us.”

A spokesperson from Discord said “We make no money from advertising, selling user data to advertisers, or sharing users’ personal information with others. Instead, the company generates its revenue directly from users through a paid subscription service.”