President Joe Biden plans to nominate Lina Khan, a Columbia Law School professor who specializes in antitrust law, to serve as a member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), reported Politico.
Her nomination, if it goes forward, would signal a tougher stance toward the tech platforms, especially following the selection of fellow antitrust progressive Tim Wu to join the National Economic Council.
Lina Khan also served as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel, which conducted a 16-month investigation into tech companies and determined that the biggest internet platforms have all abused their gatekeeper power over the digital economy. The panel is preparing to introduce legislation to reform antitrust laws
The committee’s report recommended a series of far-reaching antitrust reforms, including a measure that would prohibit a dominant tech platform from operating in competition with the firms dependent on it — much the way banking laws once barred large lenders from acquiring insurers, real estate firms, and other non-banking companies. The committee also recommended restrictions on acquisitions by dominant firms.
The FTC works with the Justice Department to enforce antitrust law and also investigates companies accused of deceptive advertising.
Politico, which first reported the potential nomination, also reported that an FBI agent had made calls to Khan’s associates as part of a background check for the position.
