FTC Removes Big Tech Criticism - What Happened?

FTC Removes Blog Posts Critical of Big Tech

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reportedly taken down more than 300 blog posts. This action occurred following a change in leadership from former chair Lina Khan, as reported by Wired.

Among the removed content were posts offering critiques of major companies. Specifically, Amazon and Microsoft were addressed regarding their practices concerning customer data.

Requests for comment directed to the FTC have not yet received a response.

Lina Khan’s Tenure and Antitrust Enforcement

During her time as FTC chair under the Biden administration, Lina Khan established a reputation as a strong advocate for antitrust regulations. She actively pursued accountability for large corporations.

Khan’s efforts focused on addressing the potential for these mega-corporations to suppress competition within U.S. markets. She famously characterized leaders of Big Tech companies as “mob bosses” in a TechCrunch interview.

However, a shift in administration suggests a potential decrease in scrutiny towards the technology sector. The FTC under the Trump era is anticipated to adopt a less assertive stance regarding Big Tech.

Potential Legal and Political Implications

The removal of these blog posts raises questions about compliance with regulations governing government data management. It is possible the deletion could be a violation of established laws.

This action aligns with a broader pattern observed during the Trump administration. This pattern involves the systematic removal of specific words and phrases from both public-facing and internal government documentation.

The list of targeted terms includes a variety of identity-related and social justice keywords. These encompass terms like “Black,” “disability,” “feminism,” “genders,” “Latinx,” “LGBTQ,” “transgender,” “victims,” and “women.”

This behavior demonstrates a consistent effort to reshape the language used within government communications.