The U.S. Federal Trade Commission FTC) posted a press release titled: “FTC Launches New Office of Technology to Bolster Agency’s Work”. From the press release:
The Federal Trade Commission today launched a new Office of Technology that will strengthen the FTC’s ability to keep pace with technological challenges in the digital marketplace by supporting the agency’s law enforcement and policy work.
“For more than a century, the FTC has worked to keep pace with new markets and ever-changing technologies by building internal expertise,” said Chair Lina M. Khan. “Our office of technology is a natural next step in ensuring we have the in-house skills needed to fully grasp evolving technologies and market trends as we continue to tackle unlawful business practices and protect Americans.”
The Office of Technology will have dedicated staff and resources, and will be headed by Chief Technology Officer Stephanie T. Nguyen.
Here is what the Office of Technology will do:
Strengthen and support law enforcement investigations and actions: The office will support FTC investigations into business practices and the technologies underlying them. This includes helping to develop appropriate investigative techniques, assisting in the review and analysis of data and documents received in investigations, and aiding in the creation of effective remedies.
Advise and engage with staff and the Commission on policy and research initiatives: The office will work with FTC staff and the Commission to provide technological expertise on non-enforcement actions including 6(b) studies, reports, requests for information, policy statements, congressional briefings, and other initiatives.
Highlight market trends emerging technologies that impact the FTC’s work: The office will engage with the public and external stakeholders through workshops, research conference, and consultations and highlight key trends and best practices.
The Washington Post reported that the FTC has long been dwarfed by Silicon Valley titans like Google and Apple, each staffed with thousands of engineers and technologists.
According to The Washington Post, FTC leaders are hoping combining and expanding their forces into a dedicated tech unit will help keep up with the rapid advancements across the industry – and to keep it in check.
The Washington Post also reported that the FTC’s announcement arrives at a critical juncture. Federal regulators are dialing up investigations into tech behemoths like Amazon and waging blockbuster legal battles against Microsoft and Facebook company Meta.
The agency voted to approve the office’s creation in a 4-0 vote Thursday. It marks the first vote by Republican Commissioner Christine Wilson made public since she announced plans to “soon” retire from the agency on Thursday.
reported that the FTC has long been dwarfed by Silicon Valley titans like Google and Apple, each staffed with thousands of engineers and technologists.
According to The Washington Post, FTC leaders are hoping combining and expanding their forces into a dedicated tech unit will help keep up with the rapid advancements across the industry – and to keep it in check.
The Washington Post also reported that the FTC’s announcement arrives at a critical juncture. Federal regulators are dialing up investigations into tech behemoths like Amazon and waging blockbuster legal battles against Microsoft and Facebook company Meta.
The agency voted to approve the office’s creation in a 4-0 vote Thursday. It marks the first vote by Republican Commissioner Christine Wilson made public since she announced plans to “soon” retire from the agency on Thursday.
Personally, I’m not entirely clear on how this all shakes out. I’m going to guess that the new office will give the FTC the ability to keep up with Google and Apple (among other tech companies) and perhaps enact sanctions if a huge company is doing something egregious.