FTC Chairman Simons: We Have Resources to Oversee ISP Net Neutrality

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joseph Simons told Congress that his agency has the "resources and capability" to enforce network neutrality and under "the right circumstances" paid prioritization, blocking and throttling of internet content by Internet service providers that might advantage or disadvantage particular parts of the Internet could all be seen as unfair practices." His remarks came at a Senate Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee hearing on the FTC's and Federal Communications Commission's budget requests. 

Chairman Simons told the Senate panel that the FTC was "conducting an inventory" just to make sure that it does have the resources it needs. He has only been in his post since May 1.  Chairman Simons said he had also talked to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who has said the FCC is also willing to provide them resources, particularly technical resources. Asked if he thought the FTC had the authority it needed to regulate edge providers, Chairman Simons said the agency might need additional authority to regulate privacy and data security, particularly when it came to getting "remedial relief."