President Joe Biden designated FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter as acting chair, the agency announced Thursday. “I am deeply honored and grateful to lead an agency that is critical to helping the U.S. economy get back on its feet and function more fairly for all Americans,” Slaughter said.
The Trump administration's outgoing antitrust head said he won't act to change consent decrees governing performing rights organizations' licensing of public performance of music. After a two-year DOJ Antitrust Division investigation into the pacts with ASCAP and BMI, division chief Makan Delrahim laid out principles to keep in mind. But he said he's not acting now.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai slammed Donald Trump over the outgoing president's rhetoric against the Nov. 3 election results, which led protesters to storm the Capitol Wednesday and turn violent. Pai also confirmed he won't propose changes to how the FCC interprets a tech liability shield law, conforming with expectations (see here and here).
Making good on a threat Wednesday when protesters turned violent at the Capitol after the president encouraged them to go there during the Electoral College ratification (see here), Twitter said Friday it permanently suspended the account of Donald Trump. The social media platform said this followed the company's "close review" of recent @realDonaldTrump tweets "and the context around them -- specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter." The platform cited "the risk of further incitement of violence."
Thirty-plus states sued Google Thursday. Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, Iowa, New York, North Carolina, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, the Dakotas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Virginia were among them and the District of Columbia also signed on. They allege the company violated Sherman Antitrust Act Section 2.
Newly minted FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington was sworn in Monday morning, officially ending predecessor Mike O’Rielly's term. Simington was confirmed last week. The FCC tweeted that Simington was sworn in “moments ago” at 9:52 a.m. but didn’t immediately respond to requests for additional information about the nature of the ceremony. Former Commissioner Robert McDowell has said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai can administer the oath of office to new commissioners.
Facebook faces antitrust lawsuits from 40-plus states with attorneys general of both parties along with the FTC for allegedly illegal, anticompetitive behavior in the social media market. While the agency's chairman signed onto the litigation, fellow FTC GOP members Noah Phillips and Christine Wilson voted no. Chairman Joseph Simons joined the agency's two Democrats voting yes.
The Senate voted 49-46 Tuesday afternoon to confirm Nathan Simington as an FCC commissioner. The vote was along party lines, as expected. His confirmation followed a largely muted Senate floor debate.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai plans to leave the commission Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, the Republican announced Monday. Democrat Joe Biden will be sworn in as president that day.
The Joe Biden-Kamala Harris presidential transition team named members of transition teams through the government. They included volunteers at some agencies, such as the FTC, and departments including Commerce and Justice. An FCC team wasn't listed but one may be forthcoming (see here).