FTC Faces New Partisan, Legal Headwinds in Writing Privacy Rules

The Federal Trade Commission’s decision to tackle online privacy opens a new area of conflict for Chair Lina Khan, bringing the agency under fresh fire from conservatives who argue that Congress is better-suited to draft data-security rules.

The rift is already evident within the FTC itself, where both Republican commissioners voted no and issued dissents, citing concerns the agency’s efforts would undermine pending privacy legislation.

Khan, who was brought in by the Biden administration to reinvigorate antitrust enforcement, has drawn criticism from some Republicans and business groups for what they see as her aggressive agenda for the ...