Bedoya Backs Republican Proposal for FTC Child Expert Staff

A proposal from the top Republican on the House Commerce Committee to add technologists, psychologists and youth development experts to the FTC is “one of the best ideas in the modern tech debate that has received way too little attention,” Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya said Tuesday. Bedoya is “thrilled” the proposal from House Commerce Committee ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., was included in the committee’s bipartisan privacy bill, the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (HR-8152) (see 2207200061). Speaking at the National Association of Attorneys General Presidential Summit, Bedoya said he, Commissioner Christine Wilson and the rest of the commission are studying legislation and “looking at other constructive steps we can take to advance research, heighten awareness, and protect children online.” Bedoya expressed interest in protections against online scams in “all languages” and protections for geolocation data. Any company that uses location data “should think hard about how to better protect their users,” he said. Bedoya said he will ask companies whether the data collection is necessary, how the data is being used and what more can be done to protect it.