FTC Opens Tech Oversight Office

The Commission voted 4-0 to approve the creation of the Office of Technology.

The Federal Trade Commission on Friday launched an Office of Technology that the commission says will allow it to keep pace with technological challenges in the digital marketplace. 

The Commission voted 4-0 to approve the creation of the Office of Technology.

“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 said in a media release.

"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," she said. 

The Office of Technology will have dedicated staff and budget and will be led by Chief Technology Officer Stephanie T. Nguyen.  

 The new office will:

• Strengthen and support law enforcement investigations into business practices and the technologies underlying them.
   
• Advise and engage with staff and the Commission on policy and research, including 6(b) studies, reports, requests for information, policy statements, congressional briefings, and other initiatives.  
   

• Highlight market trends and emerging technologies that affect FTC work, meeting with the public and stakeholders through workshops, conferences, and consultations and highlight key trends and best practices. 

Khan said the Office of Technology builds on the FTC’s long-term efforts to expand in-house technological expertise, and brings the agency in line with other antitrust and consumer protection enforcers around the world.