Additionally, the staff report highlighted the many ways in which the companies fed users’ and non-users’ personal information into their automated systems, including for use by their algorithms, data analytics, and AI. The report found that users and non-users had little or no way to opt out of how their data was used by these automated systems, and that there were differing, inconsistent, and inadequate approaches to monitoring and testing the use of automated systems.

Furthermore, the staff report concluded that the social media and video streaming services didn’t adequately protect children and teens on their sites. The report cited research that found social media and digital technology contributed to negative mental health impacts on young users.