Big Tech’s Complexity Will Strain FTC Resources, Agency Warns

The Federal Trade Commission is concerned about its ability to litigate future tech cases due to the rising cost of hiring and retaining expert witnesses.

“The escalating costs of expert witnesses is one of the agency’s top challenges,” the FTC’s inspector general Andrew Katsaros said in a Sept. 27 letter. The letter, which was addressed to FTC Chairman Joe Simons, was publicly released Oct. 2.

Expert witnesses, who may charge close to $1,000 an hour, are routinely retained in government lawsuits to help describe why a merger or an anti-competitive practice, such as deceptive tactics that stifle competition, is unlawful ...