Consumer Groups Ask FTC to Block Meta’s Chatbot Advertising Plans
The FTC should block Meta’s plans to use AI chatbot conversations for targeted advertising purposes, more than 30 civil society groups wrote Chairman Andrew Ferguson on Thursday.
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The groups included Electronic Privacy Information Center, Common Sense Media, Consumer Federation of America, Fairplay, Tech Oversight Project and Public Citizen.
Meta plans to use chatbot interactions for advertising on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp starting Dec. 16. The consumer groups asked the FTC to treat the practice as unfair and deceptive under the FTC Act and block the practice until the commission reviews it. Also, the commission should enforce existing consent decrees with Meta to require disclosure of risk assessments and finalize changes to a 2020 order to strengthen privacy protections, including a ban on monetization of children’s data, they said.
Chatbot conversions often “contain highly sensitive disclosures -- including health, relationship, and mental health information -- yet Meta has provided no opt-in consent mechanism and no assurances of heightened privacy or security safeguards,” said EPIC.
The FTC in September announced an inquiry seeking information from tech companies, including Meta, about AI chatbot interactions with young users and compliance with COPPA (see 2509110068). The FTC Office of Public Affairs on Thursday responded with automatic replies saying staff is out of the office due to the government shutdown. Meta didn’t comment.