In July 2023, Coalition Filed FOIA Request Regarding FTC’s European Escapades

WASHINGTON – Ahead of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan’s keynote address at the International Competition Network – a global network of antitrust regulators —  in Barcelona, Scott Brown, former U.S. Senator and Ambassador and chair of the Competitiveness Coalition, issued the following statement: 

“Chair Khan’s repeated willingness to join forces with vehement opponents of the U.S. technology industry is regrettable yet unsurprising, especially given the FTC’s recent collusion with European regulators against American companies. Sadly, this anti-business, anti-free market message Chair Khan is sharing has nothing to do with supporting the health of the U.S. economy and everything to do with carrying out an activist agenda of the radical left. Congressional panels — several of which are already probing how this not-so-independent agency is utilizing federal resources —would be wise to evaluate this latest speaking engagement as a case study in determining whether the Commission is deserving of more funding for fiscal year 2024. The FTC needs to be held accountable.”

In July 2023, the Competitiveness Coalition filed a records request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regarding the FTC’s involvement with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark protectionist legislation by the EU. The request was sent in response to public reports that the FTC and Department of Justice (DOJ) dispatched respective taxpayer-funded agency officials to Brussels to help with implementation of EU antitrust law. While intended to help European startups compete with US innovators, the Wall Street Journal editorial board noted it’s likely that “Chinese companies like ByteDance” are poised to be “the biggest beneficiaries.”

For more than a year, the Competitiveness Coalition has been sounding the alarm on the FTC’s egregious overreach and concerning actions. To learn more about the Coalition’s work on this front, please visit www.competitivenesscoalition.com.

Members of the press can contact the coalition at press@competitivenesscoalition.com.

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The Competitiveness Coalition is a first-of-its-kind group educating the public and advocating for policies that put consumers first while fostering innovation and attracting new investment.