The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will be holding a series of
hearings this fall on "Competition and Consumer Protection in
the 21st Century," with the goal of reflecting on the
agency's powers, and state attorneys general (AGs) want to make
sure their voices are heard.
A bipartisan group of 29 state AGs filed comments with the FTC on August 20, 2018, asking
it to consider their unique viewpoints and expertise as state
regulators who are "in the forefront of consumer
protection." The FTC hearings begin on September 13 with a schedule that includes a panel
on "The Regulation of Consumer Data" featuring former
acting chair Maureen Ohlhausen and former FTC staff members and
academics. As the FTC opens its doors for a public discussion on
how its enforcement priorities and policies affecting consumers
might change, especially with a new slate of commissioners, the AGs
want to be seen as partners. In particular, they want be part of
the conversation on privacy and data
