One-on-one with FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez on Internet of Things, Network Neutrality

Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, in addition to discussing responsibilities companies have towards consumers regarding the Internet of Things, spoke about the upcoming vote on network neutrality.

Particularly, Chairman Ramirez spoke on recent comments from FTC Commissioner Maureen Olhausen, who said that she didn't want the Federal Communications Commission to classify Internet service providers as common carriers, because that would put them out of reach of legal action from the FTC. Chairman Ramirez said, "The FCC is of course looking at the issue of net neutrality. I also believe that there needs to be an open Internet, that the Internet needs to be an open platform. How one goes about achieving that is obviously something that we’re going to see and that the FCC is considering with a whole host of very complicated legal, technical, and economic questions attached to that issue. So I’m looking forward to see how the FCC ends up handling it, and I know that we’re supposed to be hearing some news, some proposed rules fairly soon."

"I think the enforcement of the antitrust laws is absolutely fundamental to ensuring there's a competitive marketplace," Chairman Ramirez told Politico. "But I don't believe when it comes to net neutrality that antitrust alone is going to be sufficient to address the concerns the FCC has raised, that [Chairman Tom Wheeler] has raised, that the president has raised, when it comes to ensuring an open Internet."