The FTC was built 100 years ago to fight monopolists. Now, it’s Washington’s most powerful technology cop.

The Federal Trade Commission is the agency that was created as a bulwark against monopoly but has grown into a powerful consumer watchdog.

These days, it has gone after the likes of T-Mobile for putting spammy third-party charges on Americans' phone bills. It has chastised Google for inappropriately tracking users' Web habits. The FTC has even staked out new roles for itself on hacking and the bulk use of digital data. "The Federal Trade Commission is becoming, for better or for worse, the Federal Technology Commission," said Geoffrey Manne, executive director of the International Center for Law and Economics. On Sept 26, the FTC turns 100 years old. Here's the story of how it became Washington's go-to technology fixer.