Source URL: https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/19/social_media_data_harvesting_handling_ftc/
Source: The Register
Title: No way? Big Tech’s ‘lucrative surveillance’ of everyone is terrible for privacy, freedom
Feedly Summary: Says Lina Khan in latest push to rein in Meta, Google, Amazon and pals
Buried beneath the endless feeds and attention-grabbing videos of the modern internet is a network of data harvesting and sale that’s far more vast than most people realize, and it desperately needs regulation. …
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The FTC’s report highlights significant privacy risks associated with major social media and video streaming companies, emphasizing inadequate data protection practices, particularly for minors. It calls for comprehensive federal regulations to address pervasive data harvesting and user consent issues, which have been exacerbated by current oversight failures.
Detailed Description:
– The FTC’s study spans nearly four years and focuses on nine major corporations, analyzing their data collection practices.
– Key findings reveal:
– Vast amounts of personal data are harvested and monetized by these corporations, creating a lucrative but risky surveillance environment for users.
– Data protection practices are labeled “woefully inadequate,” particularly concerning data from children and teenagers.
– Many companies retain user data indefinitely and lack sufficient mechanisms for users to control their data.
– There is an alarming trend of feeding harvested user data into AI models without proper oversight or the ability for users to delete this data.
– The report highlights concerns about the treatment of teenagers, noting that many platforms do not restrict data collection despite collecting personal information from users aged 13 and older.
– The need for federal privacy regulations is underscored, as self-regulation by these companies has proven insufficient to protect consumer privacy.
– The FTC recommends limiting data collection practices, removing invasive tracking technologies, and introducing more user controls, particularly for the younger demographic.
– The urgency for a new framework is illustrated by the current stagnation of proposed legislation like the American Privacy Rights Act.
Overall, this FTC report serves as a crucial wake-up call for security and compliance professionals, indicating the pressing need for stronger privacy regulations and practices in the tech industry, especially concerning the handling of personal data and protection of vulnerable populations like minors.