FTC Social Media Data Report: What Families Can Learn
The FTC’s September 2024 social-media report examined collection, sharing and retention practices. Use its findings to ask concrete privacy questions without assuming every service behaves identically.
By ZoraSafe · Content reviewed
Keep the study’s scope intact
The report followed information orders sent in December 2020 to nine companies. Its findings concern the services and practices examined. They are not an audit of every current app, and the original company list does not include Apple.
Sources: FTC: A Look Behind the Screens: September 2024 report; FTC: Findings from the social media and streaming study
What to look for in a privacy notice
The FTC described concerns about collection, sharing, retention and protection of children and teens. Check the service you use rather than assuming a single setting controls every use of your information.
- Ask what data the service collects and which uses are optional.
- Review retention and deletion information, including limitations.
- Check controls for advertising, contacts, location and children’s accounts where relevant.
Sources: FTC: A Look Behind the Screens: September 2024 report
Use controls without expecting complete erasure
Changing a setting may limit a future use without deleting copies already shared. Follow the provider’s current instructions and keep records of important requests. This page does not determine a legal right for a particular account or location.
Sources: FTC: A Look Behind the Screens: September 2024 report; FTC: People search sites that sell your information
Sources and product references
Reviewed 2026-10-08. Source dates and scope matter; a linked source supports the associated guidance, not every claim about every product.