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President-elect Trump has tapped Andrew Ferguson to serve as chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, the antitrust agency of which he already serves as commissioner.
“Andrew has a proven track record of opposing Big Tech censorship and protecting free speech in our great country,” Trump said in a statement posted Tuesday on his Truth social network. “Andrew will be the most America First and pro-innovation FTC chairman in our country’s history.”
“Andrew will be the most pro-innovative FTC chairman in our country’s history,” he added.
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FTC Commissioner Andrew Ferguson has been appointed to chair the agency. (Screenshot/Federal Trade Commission)
Ferguson is one of two Republican commissioners on the five-member panel chaired by Lina Khan. Ferguson, who also served as Virginia’s attorney general, was appointed to the commission by President Biden and joined the FTC on April 2.
The FTC is responsible for acting as an antitrust and consumer protection agency.
Khan’s replacement likely means the FTC will operate with a lighter touch when it comes to antitrust enforcement. The new presidency is expected to appoint new directors of the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection divisions.
Khan became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley blocking billions of dollars of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta alleging anti-competitive behavior.
Under Khan, the FTC blocked a proposed merger between Korger and Albertsons, two major supermarket chains that forged a $24.6 billion deal by 2022.
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Lina Khan testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. The committee and its chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), have accused Khan and the commission of “mismanagement,” “disregard for ethics and congressional oversight” and “politicized regulations.” (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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On Tuesday, a judge halted the merger after the FTC filed a lawsuit to block the move, claiming it would lead to higher prices and lower wages for workers.
Ferguson’s experience could signal continued scrutiny of big tech companies.
In a statement earlier this month, he called for prosecution of “unlawful collision” between online platforms that could limit “the ability of Americans to freely and openly exchange ideas.”
Republican presidential candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena on August 23, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. The rally, held in partnership with Turning Point PAC and Turning Point Action, comes two weeks after US Vice President, Democratic presidential candidate Harris held a rally at the same location. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
“In particular, we must vigorously enforce antitrust laws against all platforms that unlawfully limit Americans’ ability to freely and openly exchange ideas,” he wrote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
