United States of America: Federal Trade Commission issued letters to technology companies noting their responsibility to protect privacy and data security of American consumers

On 21 August 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent letters to technology companies noting their responsibility to protect the privacy and data security of American consumers, even when facing pressure from foreign governments. The letters, addressed to providers of cloud computing, social media, messaging apps, and other digital services, including Akamai, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Cloudflare, Discord, GoDaddy, Meta, Microsoft, Signal, Snap, Slack, and X, warned that censoring Americans at the request of foreign powers could violate United States law. The FTC noted concerns that laws and demands from foreign governments, such as the European Union’s Digital Services Act, the United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act, and the UK Investigatory Powers Act, might incentivise companies to censor content globally or weaken encryption measures. The FTC stressed that such actions could erode Americans’ freedoms and expose them to risks, including foreign surveillance, identity theft, and fraud. The letters note that compliance with foreign regulations does not exempt them from obligations under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act), which prohibits unfair or deceptive practices. For example, the letter specifies, a company that advertises encrypted or secure services but reduces security to meet foreign demands could be acting deceptively. Companies are encouraged to engage with the FTC to ensure they continue to meet their privacy and security commitments under US law.