Things are changing dramatically for consumers as the Trump administration tightens its grip on the federal government.
For years, the Federal Trade Commission has been the main federal agency that polices the unfair and deceptive ways American’s personal data is collected, used, and sold.
But, in his short time in office, FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson, pictured above, has already taken several steps to walk back measures taken to rein in encroachment of American’s privacy and exploitation of the collected data by tech firms and giant corporations.
“Consumers are constantly being tracked, scored, screened, and manipulated in our current unfair marketplace, and the FTC is supposed to be there to protect our privacy and pocketbooks,” Ben Winters, director of AI and privacy for Consumer Federation of America, said in a statement.
Winters said instead of continuing the work protecting consumers’ privacy, the FTC is playing partisan games, and American consumers are paying the price.
During prior administrations, the FTC successfully sued data brokers that sold the most sensitive precise location data about where people pray or get medical care. The agency:
- Cracked down on RiteAid for collecting biometric information from everyone coming into their stores then using its determinations to harass shoppers of color.
- Took action against General Motors for sharing precise location and driving behavior data without consent from drivers.
- Went after scammers, websites that try to trick consumers into agreeing to sign up for a service or manipulate them to “consent” to sharing their data.
- Took action when companies let data breaches happen.
- Tackled the corporate consolidation fueling many data abuses by Big Tech.
In a huge change in FTC policy, Ferguson removed a public comment period about surveillance pricing practices, dismissed an investigation of MGM Resorts’ September 2023 data breach, and pulled down four years of business guidance. While some of the guidance has since reappeared on the website, several blogs advising businesses how to better protect their customers’ data from breaches are still missing.
In addition, last week, President Trump fired FTC commissioners Rebecca Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya, both Democrats, from the independent consumer agency. Now, the agency is blocked from continuing its critical work because it only has two commissioners. Decisions on substantive matters, such as enforcement actions and policy initiatives, require a majority vote of the five commissioners.
No one has been appointed to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of the former chair, Lina Khan, a Democrat who increased the number of anti-trust actions against corporations, which helps keep prices down for consumers.
The actions by the FTC’s new leadership make it clear that the agency is prioritizing partisan games over their crucial role in protecting Americans’ sensitive personal data, he said.
Winters said the current FTC is signaling alignment with Big Tech and giant corporations, the mega-donors that cozied up behind President Trump at the inauguration, not the consumers or small businesses they’re obligated under law to protect.
These changes at the FTC, like those at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other agencies, will harm consumers until the Trump administration can be reigned in.
What a surprise, more like how typical of Trump/Musk MAGA to behave illegally & autocratically, ignore due process–except when it applies to them (or their followers)–in which case they’re always victims of unjustified/illegal persecution–enen if they’re billionaires they’re still victims any time they’re criticized or thwarted.
As someone’s already remarked–the violent Jan. 6 insurrectionists received more due process then people in the US who are here legally.
I wonder if naturalized citizens are next?
Given the very flawed track record for accuracy & care of the FBI in enforcing the “no fly” rule, and how some people had to litigate FOR YEARS to obtain access to alleged “information” the FBI used to bar someone from entering the US (in one memorable case the reason was that the FBI employee who completed the form check the “wrong box”–which the gov’t attorneys representing the FBI fought for years to avoid disclosing. “No fly” rules were part of the so-called “Patriot Act” in which Bush II, Cheney, Inc & a craven majority of Congress enacted and when it came up for renewal years later, voted to renew. Thus starting a legal trend which got us where we are today–w/ever fewer enforceable rights. I wonder how long it’ll be before the NLRB is simliarly transformed into an anti-union tool?
Given what’s occurred since the passage and renewal of the so-called “Patriot Act” why would anyone believe that all the identity data people can’t avoid having collected will be any more accurately collected and stored than that data has? Particularly if tech CEOs like Musk and his tech hit people get access to it.
Right now, it seems like the only people who seem interested in protecting rights of non-wealthy people in the US are some federal judges and some beleaguered and often now former agency heads. I applaud their courage in insisting on due process and the rule of law. US was supposed to be a government of laws, not men.” John Adams, probably derived from James Harrington. https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1952
It’s just sickening what’s going on under the Trump administration. Today I’m going to write about 10,000 employees being cut from the Health and Human Services Department. It goes on and on. One article speculated Musk will soon be gone. I wonder. Then, he’ll be replaced with someone just as bad or worse.