Big Tech's big DC threat: the FTC

While antitrust lawsuits and Capitol Hill hearings get headlines, Big Tech's biggest threat in Washington may come from the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC is gearing up to flex its muscle, by both enforcing current rules and trying to draft new ones. And it may be able do so relatively quickly. Acting FTC Chairwoman Rebecca Slaughter has created a new "rulemaking group" within the agency's general counsel's office, positioning the FTC to draft new rules cracking down on anticompetitive corporate behavior. The move signals that Chairwoman Slaughter aims to be more aggressive than her recent predecessors, who focused on consumer protection issues like fraud.