U.S. mulling a probe of deceptive advertising on social media

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is expected to vote next week on whether to send demands for information about deceptive advertising to eight social media and video streaming companies, the agency said on Thursday.

The agency did not say which social media companies would receive the demands but said that the information would be used to determine what steps they have taken to detect and remove deceptive advertising from their platforms.

Some of the biggest social media companies are Facebook and its subsidiaries Instagram and WhatsApp. Top video streaming platforms include Alphabet’s YouTube and TikTok.

The commissioners will also vote on issuing demands for information to five business credit reporting agencies, which were not named, regarding how they collect data and market their products.

The inquiries could lead to enforcement actions, depending on what it turned up, but are designed to lead to studies that could underpin future legislation or rules.

The votes are set for an open meeting on March 16.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz)