Consumer Protection in the Broadband Era: The Role of the FCC

The first goal of this talk is to demonstrate the breadth, importance and impact of the Federal Communications Commission's consumer protection activities. The FCC's role is akin to that of the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or CFPB, that new agency Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) stood up after the financial crisis. Like those agencies, the actions the FCC takes affect the everyday lives of ordinary Americans.

The second goal of this talk is to discuss how our role and responsibilities complement other agencies, and debunk some common arguments that the FCC should be less active in the consumer protection game.