The Federal Trade Commission took aim at the business models of some of the world's largest companies, publishing a years-long study that decried technologies that have created "vast surveillance" networks that expose people to "a host of harms" and violate children's privacy laws.

Several B.C. business groups at a press conference Tuesday stopped short of endorsing any particular party in the upcoming provincial election, but issued a warning that B.C. has become unaffordable and is stagnating economically.

FTC Chair Lina Khan says tech giants such as Meta and Google "endanger people's privacy" and "expose them to a host of harms."

The investigation also highlights the companies' failure to adequately protect users, particularly children and teenagers.