Acting Federal Trade Commission Chairman Ohlhausen: internet of things should self-regulate

Acting Federal Trade Commission Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen said that the agency is “not primarily a regulator” and called for wait-and-see approach to enforcement.

She also defended the use of big data to offer consumers different prices for the same good and said she wanted manufacturers of internet-connected household devices to decide best practices among themselves. “We’re saying not ‘Let’s speculate about harm five years out,’ but ‘Is there something happening that harms consumers right now or is likely to cause harm to consumers,’” said Chairman Ohlhausen. If there is potential harm to consumers in a new technology, the FTC should not act until that harm manifests, she said: “We don’t know if that risk will materialize. It may well materialize, but a solution may materialize at the same time.”