US Federal Trade Commission weighs rules on Big Tech data collection amid heightened scrutiny from Congress
- The Federal Trade Commission announced an initiative Thursday examining the potential benefit of new rules to protect consumers’ privacy
- Big Tech firms like Google and Facebook owner Meta are under increasing scrutiny by Congress, bringing data privacy legislation to its closest point to passage
Whether it’s the fitness tracker on your wrist, the “smart” home appliances in your house or the latest kids’ fad going viral in online videos, they all produce a trove of personal data for big tech companies.
How that data is being used and protected has led to growing public concern and officials’ outrage. And now federal regulators are looking at drafting rules to crack down on what they call harmful commercial surveillance and lax data security.
The Federal Trade Commission announced the initiative Thursday, seeking public comment on the effects of companies’ data collection and the potential benefit of new rules to protect consumers’ privacy.
The FTC defines commercial surveillance as “the business of collecting, analysing and profiting from information about people”.
