KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia rebounded to close higher on Wednesday on selective buying of defensive stocks after a volatile trading session. IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said consumer products and services stocks lifted the key index higher, overcoming lingering geopolitical concerns. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 3.08 points to 1,715.56 from yesterday’s close of 1,712.48. The benchmark index, which opened 1.91 points higher at 1,714.39, moved between 1,710.79 and 1,720.59 during the day’s trading. In the broader market, gainers outstripped decliners 550 to 476, while 612 counters were unchanged, 1,129 untraded, and 48 suspended. Turnover rose to 2.96 billion units valued at RM2.48 billion from 2.94 billion units valued at RM2.56 billion on Tuesday.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report on Thursday criticizing social media companies for their inadequate data management practices and the lack of transparency regarding how user data is used by artificial intelligence systems. The report highlights major platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Twitch, among others, revealing how they collect, share, and retain vast amounts of user information with minimal user control.
The report found that the data management policies of these companies, including YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Snap, Discord, and Reddit, are insufficient to protect users' privacy. Although specific companies' practices were anonymized, the FTC emphasized that data tracking technologies used for online advertising and data purchased from brokers create privacy risks that could lead to harms like identity theft and stalking.
FTC Chair Lina Khan criticized the companies' reliance on surveillance practices, noting that these strategies endanger privacy while being lucrative for businesses. The report comes at a time when the US Congress is debating legislation aimed at protecting children and teens from social media harms, while companies like Meta have already introduced enhanced parental controls for younger users.
Additionally, the FTC flagged that Big Tech firms are increasingly acquiring private data to train AI technologies, often without disclosing these data deals to users. This lack of transparency extends to how social media platforms collect data on non-users and users' personal attributes, such as age, gender, income, and family status.
In response, advertising industry groups, including the Interactive Advertising Bureau, criticized the report, defending the ad-supported services provided by social media platforms and disputing the FTC's characterization of the industry as engaging in "mass commercial surveillance."
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