The Senate approved Álvaro Bedoya on the Federal Trade Commission, thus giving Democrats a majority of seats in the agency, as they aim to curb the tech industry and bring much more control over the proposed merger and acquisition.
The Bedouin was confirmed by a party vote of 51-50, while Vice President Kamala Harris broke the tie.
FTC President Lina Khan was not opposed to Amazon’s acquisition of MGM until the two companies completed the transaction. With the new Democratic majority, there has been some pressure on the FTC from trade union and public interest groups to decide whether to negotiate or restrict the transaction.
As soon as Bedoya is sworn in, he will join Khan and Rebecca Sloter as three Democrats on the committee.
“With full membership of the FTC, this leading agency will have the power to take comprehensive action against badly doing companies that use anticompetitive practices, inflation and price scams to attract consumers and increase profits,” he said. said majority leader in the Senate, Chuck. Sumer says in a statement.
Republicans opposed Bedoya’s appointment, arguing that he would be too supportive of the agency, pointing to some of his previous social media posts. Bedoya’s confirmation was delayed after members of the Senate Trade Committee froze, forcing Sumer to go through a longer process to reach the nomination site.
The FCC still remains stuck between Democrats and Republicans 2-2. It is not yet clear when the Senate will move to President Joe Biden’s candidate, Gigi Son, who will give the Democrats a majority in the committee. He was challenged by commentators on Fox News, the Wall Street Journal editorial page, and Senate Republicans, who also raised questions about his previous Twitter posts. But Son has also garnered the support of conservative small media leaders like Newsmax and One America News Network, who see him as a champion of small independent media.
Bedoya is the founding director of Georgetown Law’s Center for Privacy and Technology. The FTC is expected to continue publishing a comprehensive set of privacy policies for Internet companies. The FTC and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice are reviewing the merger guidelines, anticipating that they will lead to stricter enforcement.
Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
