Shocking Move: Trump’s FTC Chair Bans Public Comments on Pricing Tactics!

This week marked the beginning of the new Federal Trade Commission chairman appointed by President Donald Trump, who started his term by halting public inquiries into corporate surveillance pricing and other controversial strategies that had been a focus under the former chair, Lina Khan.

Andrew Ferguson, who assumed the role of FTC chair, made a notable first move by announcing the end of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives within the agency. He quickly called for a vote to grant him broad powers to align with President Trump’s directive to cease DEI activities throughout the federal government.

In a quieter vein, Ferguson also ended the FTC’s calls for public comments on topics such as corporate mergers and acquisitions, illegal employment practices, predatory pricing, and surveillance pricing tactics. Surveillance pricing involves the use of personal data by companies to tailor prices at an individual level.

The Democratic commissioners at the FTC voiced their concerns about Ferguson’s actions, suggesting they reflect his true priorities.

Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya commented on Thursday that Ferguson could have chosen to address a range of issues beneficial to economic relief and business opportunities in his first public act. “He could have responded to a public petition from wall and ceiling contractors seeking an investigation into fraudulent practices in the commercial construction sector,” Bedoya stated.

“Chairman Ferguson had numerous options to reduce living costs and support American businesses and workers. Instead, he chose to eliminate ‘DEI,'” Bedoya remarked further.

Former FTC public affairs office director Douglas Farrar criticized the new chairman’s approach as inconceivable. “It’s unthinkable that the FTC’s new chair would start by sidelining small businesses dealing with monopolies and Americans already burdened by high costs.”

Farrar emphasized the importance of public participation in governance, stating, “The American people deserve a voice in their government, not to be ruled by oligarchs.”

In defense of his actions, Ferguson claimed his focus on ending DEI was justified as Trump had explicitly campaigned on this issue.

Yet, Bedoya pointed out that Trump also mandated all heads of executive departments and agencies to provide emergency price relief and boost American worker prosperity on his inauguration day.

“Chairman Ferguson seems disinterested in real-world challenges people face,” stated Bedoya on Thursday. “One of his initial decisions as Chairman was to discreetly eliminate the public’s chance to comment on five different information requests.”

Instead of engaging with the public, Bedoya concluded, “Chairman Ferguson has chosen to shut them out.”