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FTC issues orders to nine social media and video streaming services

ftc.gov

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Re: FTC issues orders to nine social media and video streaming services

#261

Post by cjfd »

lle-bout wrote: post #245
akersten wrote: post #54

Here is the actual order (PDF warning): https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/6b-orders... I would encourage everyone to read it. My personal take is that this is a ridiculous amount of homework to do in 45 days, and is essentially the FTC asking for not only these companies' "secret sauce" but also their confidential bookkeeping. I would be astounded if none of them challenged this order. For example, r…

I don't think it's more important to protect private profits than ensure people's right are respected when their data is being processed. Moreover, I don't think the answers will be made public so what's the problem with being held accountable to a government authority? That's just normal in this case. It's more than relevant to get to know a company business strategy when their business model is essentially based on…

Being held to government authority is indeed normal. Being held accountable to government micromanagement and/or spying is not. The normal way for government to handle this stuff would be to issue a law saying that it is forbidden to spy on citizens and if you do spy on citizens you go to jail. The government going over all paperwork of a company is such a strange activity.

Re: FTC issues orders to nine social media and video streaming services

#262

Post by _cs2017_ »

yuliyp wrote: post #249
downrightmike wrote: post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google is on the list, they have submitted to a similar agreement to be able to work in China. This reeks more like a see what you can get on the way out. 45 days from today is 1/28, one week after the inauguration. A decent time period where they will be a lot going on and confusion, that could allow underhanded tactics leeway to work.

As much as I want to find yet another reason to hate the Trump administration, this was done by the independent FTC, by a vote of 4-1, with 2 of 3 Republicans and both Democrats voting in favor it.

Curious why you're downvoted. So people think the FTC is not independent? I wasn't sure about it myself, but with both Democrats voting in favor, this doesn't seem to be pushed through by Trump.

Re: FTC issues orders to nine social media and video streaming services

#263

Post by PrefixKitten »

mhh__ wrote: post #258
uncomputation wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Yet you participate in society. Curious! I am very intelligent."

This isn't a direct comment on this case in particular, but if you are preaching the death of capitalism (is where this pasta arises from) while using not only the freedom to do so and a platform delivered to you solely by a market, without any self-reflection then you bet I'm going to point that out.

Not the parent commenter but the only product I spend any money on whatsoever anymore is Benzedrex so beyond that any product being delivered to me is entirely at the expense of whatever company is involved in it's dissemination.

Re: FTC issues orders to nine social media and video streaming services

#264

Post by ClumsyPilot »

mhh__ wrote: post #258
uncomputation wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Yet you participate in society. Curious! I am very intelligent."

This isn't a direct comment on this case in particular, but if you are preaching the death of capitalism (is where this pasta arises from) while using not only the freedom to do so and a platform delivered to you solely by a market, without any self-reflection then you bet I'm going to point that out.

> "while using not only the freedom"

Ancient Greeks had freedoms, markets and democracy, and never heard the word 'capitalism'

Re: FTC issues orders to nine social media and video streaming services

#265

Post by _2d30 »

mhh__ wrote: post #259
_2d30 wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple's great luck here is that everyone thinks of social media primarily in aesthetic ways that are linked to ideas of social media that they don't like. > there are no recommendations, no feed, no following friends, no status updates, no likes, no profiles, no stories, and no connection to Facebook at all. So because Apple doesn't have, in your view, some of the above, extremely limited, set of things they have no…

Although I don't despise apple, they are a company like any other at the end of the day. Debate that fits the pattern of, 1. Apple good (Because it's my tribe etc.) 2. Work backwards to find reasoning is not a good thing.

Strongly agree.

Re: FTC issues orders to nine social media and video streaming services

#266

Post by emteycz »

lle-bout wrote: post #245
akersten wrote: post #54

Here is the actual order (PDF warning): https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/6b-orders... I would encourage everyone to read it. My personal take is that this is a ridiculous amount of homework to do in 45 days, and is essentially the FTC asking for not only these companies' "secret sauce" but also their confidential bookkeeping. I would be astounded if none of them challenged this order. For example, r…

I don't think it's more important to protect private profits than ensure people's right are respected when their data is being processed. Moreover, I don't think the answers will be made public so what's the problem with being held accountable to a government authority? That's just normal in this case. It's more than relevant to get to know a company business strategy when their business model is essentially based on…

The government authority is a human. That's why it's a problem. People aren't perfect and might speak about what they saw.

And no, it's not normal to be required to have a business plan, much less disclose it.

Re: FTC issues orders to nine social media and video streaming services

#267

Post by methodsignature »

cjfd wrote: post #261
lle-bout wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it's more important to protect private profits than ensure people's right are respected when their data is being processed. Moreover, I don't think the answers will be made public so what's the problem with being held accountable to a government authority? That's just normal in this case. It's more than relevant to get to know a company business strategy when their business model is essentially based on…

Being held to government authority is indeed normal. Being held accountable to government micromanagement and/or spying is not. The normal way for government to handle this stuff would be to issue a law saying that it is forbidden to spy on citizens and if you do spy on citizens you go to jail. The government going over all paperwork of a company is such a strange activity.

And how do you research for the formulation of such a law? Not really trying to defend anyone here with not much info, just it seems that asking parties for information about how the soup is made so you know how to regulate the making is pretty common, no?

Re: FTC issues orders to nine social media and video streaming services

#268

Post by spacemanmatt »

jariel wrote: post #89

And this is happening under Trump folks. He doesn't seem to be making a fuss of it either way, and he's probably had enough time to install his folks in the FTC, so I wonder what/if there's a political angle to this. There is literally no mention of 'FTC' on either CNN or Fox landing pages right now, which is a little disturbing given the days events. If someone has material information to add about the real backgrou…

Trump appointed the lone dissenter on the commission

Re: FTC issues orders to nine social media and video streaming services

#269

Post by true_religion »

ummonk wrote: post #154
true_religion wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a list of companies which do not charge end-users. Netflix requires a subscription to view anything, complies with regulations about region-specific copyrights, and has zero deals with third parties. Their business model is simple. They're TV, on the internet. They buy or make tv shows, and display them to you for a fee. They're not a "platform", they're just a cable TV service.

We all pay for Amazon Prime, and yet Amazon is on there. Netflix is a video streaming service which will "collect, use, track, estimate, or derive personal and demographic information". It will "determine which ads and other content are shown to consumers". It will "apply algorithms or data analytics to personal information". It will "measure, promote, and research user engagement". And "their practices affect childr…

Amazon is on there because they run an affiliates ads system over millions of sites, and are a marketplace for other people to sell their goods. In comparison netflixes operations are very simple.

Re: FTC issues orders to nine social media and video streaming services

#270

Post by darkcha0s »

pjc50 wrote: post #139
jcjdbdndndthrow wrote: post #87

Transparency coming? How about if I see an ad I should be allowed to see who bought the ad? How about how they chose to target me? Is it because of my race or interests or gender or age? How about the option to opt out? How about the option to configure your future ad targets / attributes? How about no special black box algorithms? Past the addiction issues, how can these exist while guaranteeing no racial and other…

You cannot jail people for things that were not illegal at the time they did them. There's a lot of anti Facebook hyperbole in this thread; please stick to feasible and reasonable demands and we're more likely to get them.

How would you know that they haven't done illegal things, without actually looking up if they did? I think gaining insights into that blackbox is what they are after, and see if what happens in that blackbox is illegal.
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