Lina M. Khan

FTC Chair Khan on the Enforcement Policy Regarding Unfair Methods of Competition

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When Congress passed the FTC Act in 1914, it didn’t just create a new agency. It created new law for that agency to enforce. Section 5 of the Act provides that “unfair methods of competition in or affecting commerce” are “hereby declared unlawful.”1 The next clause states, “The Commission is hereby empowered and directed to prevent” businesses “from using unfair methods of competition.”2

Together these sentences form the heart of the Commission’s legislative mandate in the domain of competition.3, 4 Accordingly, over the last century the Commission used its Section 5 authority to challenge a host of unlawful business practices.

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FTC Chair Lina Khan Speaks on Data Security Rulemaking

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Today [August 11], the Federal Trade Commission initiated a proceeding to examine whether we should implement new rules addressing data practices that are unfair or deceptive.

The Commission brought its first internet privacy case 24 years ago against GeoCities, one of the most popular websites at the time.1 In the near quarter-century since, digital technologies and online services have rapidly evolved, with transformations in business models, technical capabilities, and social practices. These changes have yielded striking advancements and dazzling conveniences—but also tools that enable entirely new forms of persistent tracking and routinized surveillance. Firms now collect personal data on individuals

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Chair Lina Khan Discusses Vision and Priorities for the Federal Trade Commission

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Thank you [commissioners and staff] for the grace and patience you’ve displayed the last few months as my team and I have gotten up to speed on the agency’s work and processes. Navigating a leadership transition during a pandemic has
posed a host of challenges, and I am so grateful for the warm welcome and support from across the Commission. The past 18 months have involved significant hardship and loss for many of us, and I want to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication during these difficult times.

It’s been great to meet and speak with many of … Read more