President Trump has dismissed the Democratic commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a move that has been described as a partisan attack on the agency responsible for consumer protection. This action aligns with previous dismissals of Democratic commissioners from other federal agencies, including the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Election Commission, and the National Labor Relations Board.
Alexandra Reeve Givens, President and CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology, criticized these actions: “The President continues his rampage against consumer protection agencies with these destructive, unprecedented, and baseless firings.” She further stated that it is evident President Trump is willing to remove anyone who might oppose him, despite legal protections meant to ensure agency independence.
Givens emphasized the importance of FTC's independence: “The FTC is an independent agency for a reason: its independence allows it to enforce the laws and protect American consumers without favor. These political firings fly in the face of the Commission’s bipartisan history and nearly 100 years of Supreme Court precedent. And it’s consumers who will pay the price.”
The FTC plays a crucial role in enforcing consumer protection laws under statutes like the Federal Trade Commission Act. This includes prohibiting unfair practices in advertising, privacy, and competition. The agency has been active in protecting consumers from harmful data practices by data brokers concerning geolocation information collection. It also enforces children's online privacy laws under acts such as COPPA against companies like Epic Games and Google (YouTube Kids).
