United States of America: Announced FTC Inquiry on Data Protection of Social Media and Video Streaming Services

On 14 December 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued orders to nine major social media and video streaming companies, including Amazon, TikTok (ByteDance), Discord, Facebook, Reddit, Snap, Twitter, WhatsApp, and YouTube, demanding detailed information about their data collection, usage, and advertising practices. These orders, made under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act, allow the Commission to conduct broad inquiry without a specific law enforcement focus. The FTC aims to understand how these companies collect, use, and track personal and demographic information, how they select ads and content for users, and the role algorithms and data analytics play in this process. Additionally, the FTC is studying how these companies promote user engagement and what effects their practices have on children and teens. The companies have 45 days to respond to the order.