Read more at source.
Read more at source.
The abrupt and illegal attempt by President Trump to fire FTC commissioners Slaughter and Bedoya has raised significant concerns. The remaining Republicans on the commission are expected to be joined by another soon. With the FTC already experiencing staff cuts, Slaughter and Bedoya warn that their removals will hinder transparency and accountability. They also plan to sue to return to their roles, highlighting the importance of dissenting voices in providing context and illustrating alternative paths for the FTC's decisions.
Members of the subcommittee are keen to revive the Kids Online Safety Act and other similar bills. However, they worry about the enforcement of these laws in the current political climate. Democrats argue that laws are ineffective without proper enforcement, and they believe this is under threat due to the FTC's current state. The FTC is expected to enforce major bills such as KOSA and the Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), both of which passed through the House Energy and Commerce Committee last year.
Republicans have dismissed the FTC firings as a distraction, emphasizing that the hearing is about children's online safety, not political issues. However, the Democrats' concerns about law enforcement remain. The situation begs the question of how trust can be regained and how the enforcement of online safety laws can be ensured amidst ongoing political disruptions.
Without dissenting voices in the room, Slaughter and Bedoya have warned, there's no one to push back and illustrate what alternative paths the FTC could have taken, or provide important context to the agency's decisions.
