Jan 21, 2021 - Technology

Rebecca Slaughter named acting FTC chair

Ashley Gold

A photo of Rebecca Kelly Slaughter speaking at CES in 2020. — Photo: David Becker via Getty Images

President Biden has tapped Rebecca Slaughter to be acting chair of the Federal Trade Commission, the agency announced Thursday.

Why it matters: The FTC will have an interim head while it navigates shifting priorities and weighs antitrust options against tech giants as the Biden administration rolls into action. Most agencies have now named acting chairs.

Background: Slaughter, a Democrat, joined the FTC 2018. Trump-appointed Republican Chairman Joe Simons is stepping down at the end of the month.

Details: Slaughter is known for her consumer advocacy and tough-on-tech positions, often joining fellow Democrat Rohit Chopra to dissent from the GOP majority on Trump-era decisions. Biden has nominated Chopra to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Slaughter has taken strong positions on the need for greater FTC intervention into systemic racism in algorithms, competition issues and abuse of consumer data.

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Rebecca Slaughter named acting FTC chair

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