FTC Announces 14th and Final Session of its Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century

The Federal Trade Commission today announced the 14th session of its Hearings Initiative at Creighton University School of Law in Omaha, Nebraska on June 12, 2019. This will conclude the FTC’s Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century.

The hearing will begin in the morning and will include a series of roundtable discussions with State Attorneys General on important consumer protection and antitrust issues. Attorneys General Jeff Landry (Louisiana), Doug Peterson (Nebraska), Jason Ravnsborg (South Dakota), and Herbert Slatery III (Tennessee) are expected to participate. Additionally, senior staff from the Attorney General Offices of Arizona, the District of Columbia, Iowa, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington are expected to participate.

Participants will discuss areas of commonality and divergence between state and federal enforcers. The consumer protection panels will address big data and privacy, platforms, challenges unique to state enforcers, and federal/state collaboration. The competition panels will discuss the state of antitrust enforcement including big data and technology issues, multi-sided platforms, federal/state cooperation, monopsony, and occupational licensing.

Final comments for the Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century as well as comments specifically relating to the June 12 hearing can be submitted online and should be submitted no later than 11:59pm on June 30, 2019. If any entity has provided funding for research, analysis, or commentary that is included in a submitted public comment, such funding and its source should be identified on the first page of the comment.

The FTC Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century will accommodate as many attendees as possible; however, admittance will be limited to seating availability. Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Request for accommodations should be submitted to Elizabeth Kraszewski via email at ekraszewski@ftc.gov or by phone at (202) 326-3087. Such requests should include a detailed description of the accommodation needed. Please allow at least five days advance notice for accommodation requests; last minute requests will be accepted but may not be possible to accommodate.

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