New Commissioners on the way for the FTC

Yesterday, the White House announced that it has sent the nominations of four new Commissioners for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to the Senate for approval. The group includes two previously announced nominees, Republican Joe Simons for Chairman and Democrat Rohit Chopra for Commissioner. Republicans Noah Phillips and Christine Wilson, both of whom have extensive prior experience in Washington as lawyers on Capitol Hill and at the FTC respectively, are the two additional Commissioner nominees from the White House.

The advertising world has anxiously awaited news of who would be chosen to fill the FTC’s vacant positions after the previous commissioners resigned or had their terms expire earlier in the Trump Administration. As we stated last April in this blog, it is vital for the Commission to be restored to its full five-member strength, especially as the FCC and FTC work to iron out the details of their roles in oversight of privacy. Now is the time to put the FTC in the best position to further a strong and appropriate privacy regulatory agenda and to carry out its many other key functions. ANA is pleased to see that such knowledgeable individuals have been chosen, and we look forward to their nominations moving quickly through the Senate so that they can begin work on key regulatory issues.

ANA would also like to thank Acting FTC Chair Maureen Ohlhausen for her years of superb work at the Commission and congratulate her as she is now nominated for a judgeship on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Chairwoman Ohlhausen has repeatedly supported ANA and the ad community’s work in regard to advertising self-regulation and the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), which helps provide transparency to the online advertising ecosystem. As the changeover in FTC leadership occurs, ANA will work with all commissioners to ensure that the advertising industry’s self-regulatory efforts continue to be supported by the FTC to assure strong, meaningful protections for consumers.

Former FTC Chairs Deborah Majoras and Jon Leibowitz will be speaking at the 2018 ANA Advertising Law & Public Policy Conference, March 15-16 in Washington, D.C. They will offer their insights and perspectives on today’s FTC and discuss what lies ahead for consumer protection and advertising regulation in 2018.