The report is a cumulative analysis that began in 2020 when the FTC issued orders to nine companies including Amazon, Discord, WhatsApp, Meta, YouTube, Reddit, Twitter and the owners of TikTok and Snapchat seeking information about how their streaming services affect Americans who consume their content.The FTC said many of the companies had the ability to collect and retain “troves” of data indefinitely from users and nonusers of their platforms.
The personal information taken by these companies and their various systems was then used to sell advertising services on their platforms, the FTC said.“Because the advertising ecosystem is complex and occurs beneath the surface, it is challenging for users to decipher how the information collected from and about them is used for ad targeting — in fact, many users may not be aware of this at all,” the report stated.
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