A report by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reveals that social media platforms, such as Facebook and TikTok, collect, share, and process vast amounts of user data, but offer limited transparency and control over how that data is used, particularly in systems powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
The report scrutinizes how platforms like Meta's Facebook, ByteDance's TikTok, Amazon's gaming platform Twitch, and other social media manage user data. The analysis indicates a lack of adequate safeguards for responsible data management, protection, and deletion, raising concerns about potential misuse of user information and heightened risks to user privacy. Although platforms like YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat, Discord, and Reddit are mentioned, a detailed analysis of their data practices was not included in the report.
The FTC points out that social media companies use tracking technologies and also collect data from third-party sources, mainly for personalized advertising. Discord responded by noting that it differs significantly from ad-reliant platforms like Meta and TikTok, and that, at the time of the research, Discord did not display ads, making such comparisons unfair. X also highlighted that its data policies have evolved since the study, with greater emphasis on user data protection and transparency.
Other platforms have yet to comment on the findings of the FTC report.
