Luján Introduces Legislation to Improve Consumer Protections Online

Press Release

U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Chair of the Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, introduced the Federal Trade Commission Technologists Act of 2021 to ensure online companies are held accountable for harms caused to consumers on their platforms. Specifically, this legislation would create an Office of Technologists at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to provide an expert workforce that is better suited to enforce regulations against complex tech companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Google. Under the bill, the office would employ at least 25 technologists and other necessary employees at the FTC to support all activities including policy, enforcement, and the Commission's use of technology.

"With such an expansive reach and audience thirsty for information, federal agencies must have the experts capable of investigating potential harm to consumers," said Luján. "That's why I'm introducing legislation to increase the Federal Trade Commission's technological capacity to hold new and pervasive digital platforms accountable. As the FTC continues to gear up to meet the tech challenges of the 21st century, increasing the agency's technological capacity will be a critical step in its mission to protect consumers' privacy, wellbeing, and health, and that's exactly what this legislation does."

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