Markets Wired

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras today announced her decision to leave the FTC in late March. Majoras was appointed by President George W. Bush and sworn into office on August 16, 2004.

“It has been my honor to serve U.S. citizens as Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission,” Majoras said. “The FTC plays a vital role in standing up for consumer interests and a competitive marketplace. Tough, yet well-reasoned, antitrust and consumer protection enforcement is a powerful combination that provides a strong foundation for our nation’s economic system. I have been privileged to stand with my fellow Commissioners and the talented FTC staff in our efforts to protect and enhance consumer welfare.”

Majoras is a tough enforcer and a vigorous proponent of empowering consumers with facts about marketplace risks and frauds and the benefits of a competitive marketplace. She has focused on ensuring data security and protecting consumers from emerging frauds, such as identity theft, spyware, and deceptive spam. Majoras worked with the food and entertainment industries to harness their creative, technical, and financial power to promote healthier eating and exercise habits for children. During her tenure, she focused on increasing the efficiency and transparency of the merger review process, implementing sound antitrust policy regarding intellectual property, increasing efforts to prevent anticompetitive government policies, and strengthening cooperation with consumer and competition agencies around the world.

“The FTC is well-positioned to continue its strong record of acting on behalf of American consumers,” Majoras said. “As technological and other marketplace advancements provide new antitrust questions and threaten consumers’ confidence in our economy, the men and women of the FTC are already working to develop the best course for future enforcement, policy, and consumer outreach.”

Previously, Majoras served as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. Prior to her government service, Majoras was a partner in Jones Day’s antitrust section.

Majoras is the recipient of the International Association of Privacy Professionals’ 2007 Privacy Leadership Award and RSA’s 2007 Award for Excellence in the Field of Public Policy. SC Magazine named her one of the Top Five Influential IT Security Thinkers in 2006, and Washingtonian Magazine listed her among the “100 Most Powerful Women in Washington.”