U.S. consumer watchdog orders tech giants to turn over information on payment data

FILE PHOTO: The seal of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 14, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. consumer watchdog said on Thursday it has demanded information from tech giants Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, PayPal and Square on how they gather and use consumer payment data, in a broad effort to protect consumers from privacy breaches, fraud and anticompetitive behavior.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said it will also study the payment system practices of Chinese tech giants, including Alipay and WeChat Pay.