WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate consumer protection efforts. The new MOU follows the FCC’s restoration of Net Neutrality and the FCC’s recent decision to reclassify broadband service as a Title II telecommunications service.
“Consumers do not want their broadband provider cutting sweetheart deals, with fast lanes for some services and slow lanes for others. They do not want their providers engaging in blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization,” said FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “If consumers have problems, they expect the nation’s expert authority on communications to be able to respond. Now we can. In partnership with our colleagues at the FTC, we will protect consumers and ensure internet openness, defend national security, and monitor network resiliency and reliability. I thank Chair Khan and her team for their leadership and cooperation in protecting consumers.”
“The FTC is squarely focused on protecting Americans from illegal business tactics, from tackling AI-enabled voice cloning fraud to fighting the scourge of robocalls. We look forward to continuing to work in close partnership with the FCC,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “Effective law enforcement requires targeting the upstream actors enabling unlawful conduct, and having the FCC as a partner here will be critical.”
Under the agreement the FCC said that it will return to its traditional position as the enforcer of essential rules as they apply to broadband service providers, a critical part of telecommunications infrastructure. This includes prohibitions against blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization practices; transparency requirements; consumer protections related to internet service outages; and basic consumer privacy protections which have long applied to phone networks.
The two regulatory agencies said that the new MOU terminates the 2017 Restoring Internet Freedom FCC-FTC Memorandum of Understanding.
It also clarifies that commitments under prior MOUs, including the 2003 Memorandum of Understanding regarding Telemarketing Enforcement, as well as the 2015 FCC-FTC Consumer Protection Memorandum of Understanding that remain in effect and are not altered or invalidated by the new MOU, the agencies said.
The FCC and the FTC also reported that they will continue to share legal, technical, and investigative expertise and experience.
