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The FTC just published results of a sweeping study of social media sites that has been going on for four years. The organization said that many social media sites and streaming services engage in vast surveillance of consumers in order to monetize their personal information. This mass surveillance impacts adult users, but also children and teens. This isnt exactly surprising. After all, the old saying goes if you're not paying for the product, you are the product. Still, the study suggests a level of surveillance that could shock even the most cynical among us. According to the FTC, these entities collect and indefinitely retain troves of data. The companies also engage in broad data sharing with woefully inadequate security measures. The report also found that some companies didnt delete all user data in response to deletion requests. Thats not a good look. Additionally, some companies were found to be using privacy-invasive technologies like tracking pixels to facilitate advertising to users based on preferences and interests. But wait, theres more. The report found that users (and even non-users) had little or no way to opt out of how their data was used by automated systems, like algorithms, data analytics and AI. The FTC found that these companies employed different, inconsistent and inadequate approaches to monitoring and testing the use of these automated systems. Finally, the report found that social media and video streaming services didnt adequately protect children and teens on their sites. The study goes on to suggest that social media, and digital technology as a whole, contributes to negative mental health impacts on young users. This is nothing new, though some social media companies are putting tools in place to protect kids. Instagram just made it mandatory for teen accounts to include parental controls. The FTC says that all of these issues boil down to the profit models of the big social media and streaming companies. These business models mandate the mass collection of user data to monetize, especially through targeted advertising. This is in tension with privacy concerns as, well, privacy doesnt make money. The study concludes that self-regulation has been a failure. To that end, the FTC has issued several recommendations to help solve these problems. It wants Congress to pass comprehensive privacy legislation to limit surveillance and to offer baseline protections. It also wants social media and streaming companies to limit data collection and data sharing with third parties. The FTC also recommends that these companies actually delete consumer data when its no longer needed or upon request and to stop using invasive ad tracking technologies like pixels. It also wants these entities to address the overall lack of transparency regarding their methods. As for kids and teens, the FTC says these organizations should recognize teens are not adults and provide them greater privacy protections. Finally, it urges Congress to pass federal privacy legislation for teens over the age of 13. Again, none of this information is new, but it's pretty damning to see it all laid out this way. You can read the full report right here. The services involved in the study include X, TikTok, Reddit, Discord, Twitch, YouTube, Instagram and several others.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/sweeping-ftc-study-finds-that-social-media-sites-engage-in-vast-surveillance-of-its-users-155846997.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Amazon is joining Hollywood's top lobbying group as its seventh member. To be precise, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios will become part of the Motion Picture Association on October 1, alongside six other heavy hitters in Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix (which became a member in 2019). Amazon was already involved with the MPA, having worked with its Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, an anti-piracy coalition, as a governing board member since 2017. MGM (which Amazon bought in 2022) was previously an MPA member from 1928 until 2005. The MPA is the global voice for a growing and evolving industry, and welcoming Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios to our ranks will broaden our collective policymaking and content protection efforts on behalf of our most innovative and creative companies, Charles Rivkin, MPA chairman and CEO, said in a statement. MPA studios fuel local economies, drive job creation, enrich cultures and bolster communities everywhere they work. With Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios among our roster of extraordinary members, the MPA will have an even larger voice for the worlds greatest storytellers. Amazon's involvement with the MPA speaks to the foothold that the company has in entertainment. The fact that Amazon and Netflix are both members also highlights the major influence of streaming over the industry at large.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/amazon-joins-the-motion-picture-association-highlighting-its-power-in-hollywood-155129973.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Folks who like to escape to the block-filled, creeper-infested universe of Minecraft in virtual reality soon wont be able to do that on PlayStation VR. Developer Mojang is winding down support on that platform. Our ability to support PlayStation VR has come to an end, and will no longer be in updates after March of 2025, Mojang said in the latest Minecraft patch notes, as spotted by Eurogamer. You will no longer be able to use your PlayStation VR with Minecraft as it will no longer be supported in the latest updates. Mojang added PSVR support in 2020 as an update to the PS4 version of Minecraft there hasnt been an equivalent update for PS5 and PS VR2 as yet. The studio says it will continue to update Minecraft on PS4. From this point on you can keep building in your worlds, and your Marketplace purchases (including Tokens) will continue to be available, the Microsoft-owned studio said. Still, if you really want to keep playing Minecraft on PSVR, you can use the headset to display PS4 games on a virtual 2D screen. It's not all that unusual for games that are constantly updated to wind down support on older platforms that players have drifted away from. It's typically not sustainable for studios to keep updating titles for the benefit of a dwindling audience. But the end of Minecraft on PSVR is still notable, not least because it's the best-selling game of all time. That said, you'll soon have a brand new way to experience the Minecraft universe, as a movie based on the game is coming in April.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/minecraft-will-no-longer-work-on-psvr-after-march-144038123.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
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