The top US privacy regulator ordered some of the biggest technology companies, including Amazon.com Inc, Facebook Inc and Google\u2019s YouTube, to hand over information about how they collect and use information from users.<\/p>\n
The Federal Trade Commission said Monday it is issuing sweeping demands for information to the companies, saying their use of consumer data is \u201cshrouded in secrecy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The move intensifies the US government\u2019s scrutiny of the tech industry\u2019s business practices. The FTC last week sued Facebook for alleged violations of antitrust laws, a case that came on the heels of a Justice Department complaint against Google.<\/p>\n
The FTC is also reviewing past acquisitions of startups by tech giants.<\/p>\n
\u201cPolicymakers and the public are in the dark about what social media and video streaming services do to capture and sell users\u2019 data and attention,\u201d three FTC commissioners said in a statement. \u201cIt is alarming that we still know so little about companies that know so much about us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The agency is also asking about the companies\u2019 advertising and user engagement practices, and how their practices affect children and teens.<\/p>\n
The review will \u201clift the hood on the social media and video streaming firms to carefully study their engines,\u201d said the three commissioners – Democrats Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Rohit Chopra and Republican Christine Wilson.<\/p>\n
Republican Chairman Joe Simons joined the three in voting for the study, while GOP Commissioner Noah Phillips voted against it, calling it \u201can undisciplined foray into a wide variety of topics.\u201d Chopra and Wilson had previously made calls for a similar study.<\/p>\n
Axios reported earlier on the study.<\/p>\n
The orders are also being sent to ByteDance Ltd, which operates the popular short-video service TikTok, Discord Inc, Reddit Inc, Snap Inc, Twitter Inc and Facebook\u2019s WhatsApp.<\/p>\n
The companies have 45 days from the date they receive the order to respond.<\/p>\n
Amazon and Facebook declined to comment. YouTube, TikTok and Snap didn\u2019t respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n
A Twitter spokeswoman said the company is working \u201cto ensure the FTC has the information it needs to understand how Twitter operates its services.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Reddit spokesperson said it\u2019s \u201clooking forward to working with the FTC and sharing with them\u201d its policies and practices.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Discord noted that the social platform popular with gamers doesn\u2019t have ads, and said the company \u201ctakes user privacy very seriously\u201d and will work \u201cwith the FTC to answer their questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
The FTC is issuing the orders under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act, which authorizes it to conduct wide-ranging studies. They don\u2019t have to have a specific law enforcement purpose, but the information can be used in future enforcement.<\/p>\n
The commission, which polices both competition law and privacy, is also using its authority to look into the data practices of internet service providers.<\/p>\n
The FTC has hit Facebook, YouTube and Musical.ly, which is now TikTok, with fines for privacy lapses.<\/p>\n
Last year, Facebook agreed to pay a record $5 billion to settle privacy violations stemming from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which a consulting firm hired by President Donald Trump\u2019s campaign obtained data without users\u2019 knowledge.<\/p>\n
Some Democratic lawmakers applauded the move, as did children\u2019s privacy advocates.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese 6(b) studies will provide a much-needed window into the opaque data practices that have a profound impact on young people\u2019s well-being,\u201d said Josh Golin, executive director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, which has called for similar probes.<\/p>\n