The FTC issued orders under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act to nine social media and video streaming companies requiring them to provide data on their data collection, use, advertising practices, and effects on children and teens. The companies must respond within 45 days.
The companies are required to submit data on their practices within 45 days of receiving the order.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements, customer terms of service, and data processing agreements for clauses related to data collection, use, and sharing, especially those involving children and teens. Specific clauses to examine include consent mechanisms for minors, advertising and content delivery algorithms, data retention and deletion policies, and privacy policy incorporations. Changes may be needed to enhance parental consent processes, limit data collection from youth, improve transparency in ad targeting, and ensure compliance with children's privacy standards.
Entity
Amazon.com, Inc., ByteDance Ltd., Discord Inc., Facebook, Inc., Reddit, Inc., Snap Inc., Twitter, Inc., WhatsApp Inc., YouTube LLC
Also known as: Amazon, ByteDance, Discord, Meta, Reddit, Snap, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube
Industry
Social MediaOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2020/12/ftc-issues-orders-nine-social-media-video-streaming-services-seeking-data-about-how-they-collect-use
6b orders file special reports social media service provider
https://www.ftc.gov/reports/6b-orders-file-special-reports-social-media-service-providers
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"The orders are being sent to Amazon.com, Inc., ByteDance Ltd., which operates the short video service TikTok, Discord Inc., Facebook, Inc., Reddit, Inc., Snap Inc., Twitter, Inc., WhatsApp Inc., and YouTube LLC."
"under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act"
"The FTC is seeking information specifically related to how social media and video streaming services collect, use, track, estimate, or derive personal and demographic information"
The FTC sent warning letters to 12 companies offering 'nudify' tools that generate nonconsensual intimate images, for failing to comply with the TAKE IT DOWN Act (TIDA) by not providing a mechanism for victims to request removal of such content. The letters urge immediate compliance with TIDA, which requires platforms to remove nonconsensual intimate images within 48 hours of a valid request. Noncompliant companies may face future legal action and civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation.
The FTC began enforcing the TAKE IT DOWN Act on May 19, 2026, a law requiring covered platforms to establish a process for victims to request removal of nonconsensual intimate images and delete such content within 48 hours of a valid request. The agency launched a consumer complaint portal, issued compliance guidance for businesses and consumers, and sent reminder letters to major platforms including Meta, TikTok, and X about their obligations under the law. No specific penalties or enforcement actions against individual companies were announced in this release.
$6.5M
A federal court held Cliq Inc. and its executives Andrew Phillips and John Blaugrund in civil contempt for multiple violations of a 2015 FTC order requiring the payment processor to prevent enabling consumer fraud. The court found the defendants facilitated fraud by processing transactions for high-risk merchants, avoiding fraud monitoring, failing to conduct required underwriting, and ignoring chargeback thresholds. The court imposed $6.5 million in civil contempt sanctions against the defendants.
$795.8M
The FTC and State of Nevada settled charges with lead defendants of the IM Mastery Academy MLM scheme, including Chris and Isis Terry and their affiliated companies, over false earnings claims used to promote financial training programs and a multi-level marketing venture. The stipulated order imposes a $795.8 million judgment, with defendants surrendering nearly $90 million in assets including luxury real estate, vehicles, jewelry, and a yacht, totaling over $100 million with prior judgments from other involved defendants. The order also bans defendants from selling trading-training services, prohibits false earnings claims, and restricts deceptive practices including negative-option misrepresentations and telemarketing violations.
The FTC and State of Illinois, via the Department of Justice, filed a complaint against B.E.S.T. GDR LLC (d/b/a Premium Home Service) and its owner Yosef Bernath for creating thousands of fake home repair business listings with fabricated five-star reviews to deceive consumers. The defendants allegedly routed consumer calls to unqualified representatives, arranged for unlicensed technicians, and violated the FTC Act, Reviews and Testimonials Rule, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and Illinois consumer protection laws. No monetary penalty has been imposed yet as the case is in initial filing stages.
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson sent letters to over a dozen major technology companies reminding them of their obligation to comply with the Take It Down Act (TIDA) by May 19, 2026. TIDA requires covered platforms to establish a process for victims, including children, to request removal of nonconsensual intimate images, with takedown of content and all identical copies required within 48 hours of a valid request. The FTC also issued supplemental guidance to help companies prepare for compliance and warned that it will monitor and enforce violations of the law.