The company sought to have the dispute with the Federal Trade Commission transferred to the court.
The District of Columbia U.S. District Court denied a motion filed by Meta to transfer a legal dispute from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to the court. The decision upholds the commission’s right to adjust its proposed agreement to prevent Meta from profiting from the data collected from users under 18 years old.
Meta owns social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as messaging apps WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Ninety-eight percent of the company’s income comes through selling digital ads that are targeted to users based on the data collected on their social media platforms.
The FTC previously reached an agreement with Meta regarding the unlawful parts of its data collection business, requiring the company to pay $5 billion in 2019. Then, in May of this year, the FTC took issue with Meta collecting data from Instagram users under the age of 18. Officials proposed adjusting the 2019 agreement to require a block on the collection of data on younger users, including the use of facial recognition technology.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For judges in the federal judiciary to issue wise rulings regarding minors and privacy.
- For the commissioners of the FTC as they seek to protect the data of Americans under the age of 18.
- For the leaders of social media companies to respond favorably to concerns regarding child and teen safety.
Sources: Reuters, CNN
