Former FTC Chair Speaks Out on Online Ad Regulation

Former FTC Chair Deborah Platt Majoras spoke at the ANA’s advertising law and business affairs conference in New York this week. She spoke out about the need for the development of stronger industry guidelines and regulation for online advertising and behavioral targeting, specifically. The logic of her argument is that the industry would be able to regulate itself much more effectively than a government agency, because it would be able to adapt more quickly to change and it wouldn’t have to deal with First Amendment legislative hassles related to advertising language.

The former chair made the case that industry intervention is especially important at this stage because of new FTC leadership and its skepticism regarding the online ad industry’s ability to self-regulate. Both newly appointed Chairman Jon Liebowitz and and commissioner Pamela Harbour have expressed doubts that the industry can self-regulate, which could signal more active enforcement attempts in the future by the FTC.  

Former FTC Chair Deborah Platt Majoras spoke at the ANA’s advertising law and business affairs conference in New York this week. She spoke out about the need for the development of stronger industry guidelines and regulation for online advertising and behavioral targeting, specifically. The logic of her argument is that the industry would be able to regulate itself much more effectively than a government agency, because it would be able to adapt more quickly to change and it wouldn’t have to deal with First Amendment legislative hassles related to advertising language.

The former chair made the case that industry intervention is especially important at this stage because of new FTC leadership and its skepticism regarding the online ad industry’s ability to self-regulate. Both newly appointed Chairman Jon Liebowitz and and commissioner Pamela Harbour have expressed doubts that the industry can self-regulate, which could signal more active enforcement attempts in the future by the FTC. To read more, visit MediaPost for the full article by Wendy Davis, which quotes Majoras.

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