The Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Commissioner Mark Meador testified before the Senate Oversight Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation today (April 15), highlighting some of the agency’s enforcement in the automotive industry.
What we know: Ferguson explained the role of the agency as, “I’m not here to regulate. I’m here to enforce the law against the bad actors, and we will enforce vigorously and without fear. But that is who we’re after.”
To his point, he touched on in his prepared remarks, the FTC’s resolution of the litigation against the Lindsay Automotive Group for deceptive advertising of prices and charging customers for unwanted add-ons. That settlement will provide $75 million in refunds to customers.
Also during his testimony, Ferguson addressed questions from senators on:
Data collected by vehicles and enforcement rules on how that data is used.
Chinese vehicle being introduced into the U.S. market.
Why this matters: The testimony follows the 97 warning letters sent to dealers on possible advertising and sales violations. And with today’s testimony, Ferguson reinforced the direction of the agency under the Trump Administration, which dealers wondered about.
Ferguson’s answer: The agency is focused on enforcement rather than rulemaking.
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