The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced the establishment of an Office of Technology Research and Investigation, aimed at providing regulatory oversight of the rapidly evolving technology industry. This move represents a step forward in safeguarding the public from potential harm caused by the prevalence of deceptive and fraudulent business practices surrounding technological advances.
The new office will be led by the FTC’s Chief Technologist, Ashwin Ram. The chief’s primary tasks will be to evaluate existing and emerging technological trends for risk of deceptive or fraudulent behavior, create an investigative team to analyze these trends, and create a framework for legislation that may be needed. This unique combination of skills and expertise will likely prove to be invaluable in helping to effectively monitor and prevent technological scams that could potentially wreak havoc on the lives of many vulnerable citizens.
The smart technology revolution has the potential to improve our lives and the economy, but it’s also composed of products that are ripe for exploitation. The FTC has already issued warnings about products like smartphone ‘snake oil’ that claims to dramatically improve performance without any substantial evidence. These technologies can leave consumers vulnerable to fraud and egregious business practices. In response to such events, the FTC decided to make the Office of Technology Research and Investigation (TR&I) part of their organization and allow it to serve as a megaphone on behalf of the consumers.
The TR&I will serve as a bridge between the government and tech industry, and its mission is to protect consumers and promote competition. The new office will focus on a variety of areas including internet of things, mobile and wireless technologies, automated decision-making, artificial intelligence, and software platform companies. This will provide the Commission with an immediate pulse of the various technology trends, allowing them to better identify scams and put in place the necessary guidelines to protect against them.
The FTC is pleased to have Ashwin Ram lead the TR&I as Chief Technologist to gage and respond to the industry’s new advances in technology. Ram’s excellent credentials that include a Harvard Law degree, he has written extensively about digital technologies and how the law treats them, and his understanding of the tech industry’s various facets will prove invaluable to the FTC in its mission to protect consumers and promote competition.
The FTC’s new Office of Technology Research and Investigation is a welcomed addition to the organization and could prove to be an invaluable asset in protecting the public from deceptive and fraudulent technology practices. With the addition of this office, FTC will be better prepared to anticipate and respond to questionable or fraudulent operations, allowing consumers to have peace of mind as they explore and purchase the latest tech products.
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