Federal Trade Commission establishes Office of Technology

Federal Trade Commission new office overview: 

• Who: The Federal Trade Commission launched a new Office of Technology.
• Why: The office aims to ensure the FTC keeps pace with technological challenges in the digital marketplace and will support the agency’s law enforcement and policy work.
• Where: The FTC operates in the United States.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched a new Office of Technology to keep pace with technological challenges in the digital marketplace and support the agency’s law enforcement and policy work. 

The FTC announced the new Office of Technology Feb. 17, saying it would boost the FTC’s expertise to help the agency achieve its mission of protecting consumers and promoting competition. 

“For more than a century, the FTC has worked to keep pace with new markets and ever-changing technologies by building internal expertise,” FTC Chair Lina M. Khan says in a statement. “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.” 

Office of Technology will provide tech expertise, track trends, FTC says

According to the FTC, the new Office of Technology will strengthen law enforcement investigations and actions by supporting FTC investigations into business practices and the technologies underlying them. 

This includes helping to develop investigative techniques, assisting in the review and analysis of data and documents received in investigations and aiding in the creation of effective remedies, the FTC says.

It will also work with FTC staff to provide technological expertise on non-enforcement actions, including studies, reports, requests for information, policy statements, congressional briefings and other initiatives, as well as highlight market trends and emerging technologies that impact the FTC’s work.

The Office of Technology will have dedicated staff and resources and be headed by Chief Technology Officer Stephanie T. Nguyen, the press release says.

“I’m honored to lead the FTC’s Office of Technology at this vital time to strengthen the agency’s technical expertise and meet the quickly evolving challenges of the digital economy,” Nguyen says in the release. 

In other FTC news, the commission recently proposed a new rule that would prevent employers from imposing noncompete agreements on their workers. 

What do you think of the FTC’s new Office of Technology? Let us know in the comments! 

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