Privacy has been at the forefront of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) work during the Obama Administration. In 2009, one of then-Chairman Jon Leibowitz’s first acts was to initiate a review of the agency’s approach to privacy issues given rapidly-changing technology. Soon after, social networks, mobile apps, and online ad networks became targets of stepped-up enforcement.
In President Obama’s second term, under Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, the FTC continued its active enforcement and policy work, with a focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data. During Chairwoman Ramirez’s tenure, the FTC warned of the pitfalls of insecure connected devices and brought the agency’s first IoT enforcement actions, while also urging attention to the ramifications of big data on consumer privacy and economic opportunity.
