FTC Announces Tentative Agenda for September 15 Open Commission Meeting

Today, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan announced that an open meeting of the Commission will be held virtually on Wednesday, September 15, 2021. The open meeting will begin at 11 am ET and will be followed by a time for members of the public to address the Commission.

The following items will be on the tentative agenda for the September 15 Commission meeting:

Business Before the Commission

Proposed Policy Statement on Privacy Breaches by Health Apps and Connected Devices: The Commission will vote on whether to issue a policy statement on the importance of protecting the public from privacy breaches by health apps and other connected devices.

Non-HSR Reported Acquisitions by Select Technology Platforms, 2010-2019: An FTC Study: Staff will present some findings from the Commission’s inquiry into large technology platforms’ unreported acquisitions, including an analysis of the structure of deals that customarily fly under enforcers’ radar. The public release of the report is subject to commission vote.

Proposed Revisions to FTC Procedural Rules Concerning Petitions for Rulemaking: The Commission will vote on putting in place a process to receive public input on rulemaking petitions by external stakeholders.

Proposed Withdrawal of 2020 Vertical Merger Guidelines: The Commission will vote on whether to rescind the Vertical Merger Guidelines adopted in June 2020 and the Commentary on Vertical Merger Enforcement issued in December 2020.

After the Commission meeting has concluded, Chair Khan will offer brief remarks and will then invite members of the public to share feedback on the Commission’s work generally and bring relevant matters to the Commission’s attention. Members of the public must sign up for an opportunity to address the Commission virtually at the September 15 event. Each commenter will be allowed to speak for no more than one minute. Anyone who cannot participate during the event may submit written comments or a link to a prerecorded video through a webform. Speaker registration and comment submission will be available through Sunday, September 12, 2021, 8pm ET.

The FTC’s public meeting agendas will be posted on the Commission’s website at least seven days prior to the Commission’s next monthly meeting. A link to the event will be available beginning on September 15, 2021 at 8 am ET via FTC.gov. The event will be recorded, and the webcast and any related comments will be available on the Commission’s website after the meeting. The Commission retains discretion to make public comments available following the event on ftc.gov. Due to challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis, open meetings will be held virtually until further notice.