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FEDERALhearing transcript

Senate Hearing on Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Reform Proposals

Original title: FTC STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES: REFORM PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE FAIRNESS, INNOVATION, AND CONSUMER WELFARE

January 1, 2019

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing explored legislative and procedural changes to how the FTC regulates businesses and protects consumer data, which directly impacts the scope of federal oversight on corporate practices and consumer rights.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Consumers

Changes to FTC enforcement policies directly impact the level of protection consumers receive regarding data security and fair market practices.

Businesses

Regulatory reforms at the FTC change the compliance requirements and oversight standards for companies operating in the U.S.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2019.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript of a 2017 Senate subcommittee hearing regarding potential reforms to the Federal Trade Commission. Experts and lawmakers discussed how to improve the agency's approach to consumer protection, innovation, and market fairness.

Key Facts

  • The hearing took place on September 26, 2017, before the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security.
  • The session focused on reform proposals aimed at improving fairness, innovation, and consumer welfare within the FTC's mandate.
  • The committee received testimony from legal experts, consumer advocates, and policy researchers regarding the FTC's enforcement powers.
  • A letter from Equifax regarding external affairs was entered into the record.
  • The record includes a 2016 report by Berin Szoka and Geoffrey A. Manne regarding congressional oversight of the FTC.
  • The record includes a January 2017 report from the American Bar Association on the state of antitrust enforcement.
  • The record includes comments from the Washington Legal Foundation regarding zero-VOC paint claims cases.
  • The record includes a letter from the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) addressed to Senators Moran and Blumenthal.

Why It Matters

The hearing explored legislative and procedural changes to how the FTC regulates businesses and protects consumer data, which directly impacts the scope of federal oversight on corporate practices and consumer rights.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?
The hearing was held to gather perspectives from stakeholders on how to reform the Federal Trade Commission to better promote consumer welfare and innovation.
Who testified at the hearing?
Witnesses included William MacLeod (Kelley Drye & Warren LLP), Lydia Parnes (Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC), Jessica Rich (Consumer Reports), and Berin Szoka (TechFreedom).

News Coverage

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Sponsors

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

cross reference90% confidence

Equifax Data Security Context

The inclusion of a letter from Equifax in the hearing record suggests the committee was actively monitoring the company's data security practices during the 2017 timeframe.

Connected Entities

organizationEquifaxSubject of a letter submitted to the committee regarding data securityMap →
personJessica RichWitness, Vice President at Consumer ReportsMap →
personJerry MoranChairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, Map →
personLydia ParnesWitness, Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PCMap →
personBerin SzokaWitness, President of TechFreedomMap →
organizationFederal Trade CommissionThe primary federal agency under review for reformMap →
personWilliam MacLeodWitness, Partner at Kelley Drye & Warren LLPMap →
personRichard BlumenthalRanking member of the subcommitteeMap →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance60
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz10
    Current news / social attention level

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