Major Social⁤ Media Platforms Exposed for Extensive Personal Data Collection

On September ⁤19th,⁤ the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report revealing how 13 major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, ‌YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Reddit, Snapchat, and‍ WhatsApp, collect and ⁢use user⁣ data.

According to the report, these⁣ platforms force users to ​provide personal information in order to use their ‌services, and then ⁢exploit this information for ​profit. The collected‌ data includes users’ age, gender, ​language,⁤ education level, income, marital status, and more. ‌In some cases, ⁣the retention period for personal information and the method of ⁤opting out⁤ are not explicitly stated.

The platforms have been making money by‌ providing personal information for targeted advertising over the past four years. The collected data includes information about children and adolescents, and they also purchase ‌information on non-users through brokers in bulk.

“This report details how social media and video streaming companies​ collect massive amounts of personal data, generating billions of dollars in revenue each year,” FTC Commissioner Lina Khan said. “While these surveillance practices are profitable for these⁤ companies, they also threaten people’s ​privacy and freedom, exposing them to a ‍range of harms, ‍from identity theft to stalking.”

Commissioner Khan expressed particular concern about the impact on children and young people, stating that “state and federal policymakers are currently considering legislation to⁤ protect people from abusive‍ data practices.”