Agenda setting at the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission under the new administration

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are the two independent agencies most involved with how Americans access and enjoy the array of new connected technologies now available to them. The FCC’s primary goal is the protection of the public interest, which includes consumer protection, and preserving competition in communications services. The FTC’s principal mission to protect consumers and the marketplace from unfair or deceptive acts and practices.

How these independent agencies will function and what issues will be prioritized under the new Trump administration is uncertain.  What regulatory issues will present opportunities for agency collaboration, or even bipartisan support? How will each agency approach existing issues, including net neutrality and privacy? And, on what issues might each agency take divergent paths?

On February 1, the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings hosted a roundtable discussion with FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and FTC Commissioner Terrell McSweeny to discuss these questions. Each commissioner also spoke to their particular agendas, including Commissioner Clyburn’s recent release of the #Solutions2020 Call to Action Plan, which presents a comprehensive plan and approach to communications policies, and Commissioner McSweeny’s portfolio to advance intellectual property, competition, and innovation.

You can follow along on Twitter with #FCCFTC2017.