Washington, DC – Consumer Reports praised a federal court’s decision today to reinstate Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Justin Brookman, director of technology policy at CR and a former policy director of FTC’s Office of Technology, Research, and Investigation said, “We are pleased with today’s ruling to reinstate Commissioner Slaughter and hope it is maintained upon any future appeals. It is essential to maintain the independence of the FTC. The commission was designed to be independent and bipartisan, so it could focus on its mission, not the politics of the moment. That is essential for the integrity of the agency’s work.”
Commissioners Slaughter and Bedoya were fired from their roles at the FTC earlier this year despite the clear text of the FTC Act and a 1935 Supreme Court ruling protecting commissioners from termination without cause.
The FTC is an independent agency that has long served as the primary consumer protection body in the country. The FTC is tasked with protecting consumers from unfair and deceptive trade practices, ensuring fair methods of competition, and investigating consumer complaints, including on issues relating to fraud, identity theft, and deceptive advertising. It oversees key consumer protection laws, like the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Clayton Act, and more.
Contact: cyrus.rassool@consumer.org