Roundtable with FTC Commissioner Phillips Recap

Privacy in Focus®

On May 16, Wiley Rein hosted FTC Commissioner Noah Joshua Phillips for a roundtable discussion, moderated by partner Duane C. Pozza. Commissioner Phillips discussed a range of topics, including consumer data privacy enforcement and potential legislation, remedies for privacy and data security violations, and the FTC’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies. 

Among other points, Commissioner Phillips explained his view that consumer data privacy efforts should be directed at specific harms that warrant a remedy. And in discussing potential federal legislation, he emphasized that tools like penalties and rulemaking should be calibrated carefully to address harms that Congress identifies. He also noted that Congress should weigh the trade-offs involved in new regulation, and make fundamental value judgments itself rather than delegating expansive rulemaking authority to the FTC.

Commissioner Phillips was confirmed as one of five Commissioners in April 2018 and sworn in on May 2, 2018. His term extends until September 2023.

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