Simons Says: The FTC Can Handle Net Neutrality

On March 26, 2019, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joe Simons spoke before the Free State Foundation about how the FTC’s two missions -- competition and consumer protection -- apply to the internet ecosystem. Chairman Simon’s remarks help us understand the FTC’s ability to protect consumers online since the Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality rules and abdicated its role as what some have called the internet's “cop on the beat.” Chairman Simons admits that enforcement of certain components of net neutrality will be different under the FTC. Still, he claims that the FTC can adequately protect users from anticompetitive and unfair or deceptive conduct by existing antitrust law, FTC consumer protection prosecution, privacy investigations, and FTC policymaking efforts. In other words, Simons says: The FTC can handle net neutrality just fine.