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Wednesday, June 4, 2025

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Event Description

The Federal Trade Commission will hold a workshop entitled "The Attention Economy: How Big Tech Firms Exploit Children and Hurt Families" on June 4 at the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. and streamed online.

The event will bring together parents, and child safety experts, and government leaders to discuss how Big Tech companies impose addictive design features, erode parental authority, and fail to protect children from exposure to harmful content. Experts will also discuss concrete solutions to protect kids online, including age verification and parental consent requirements.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. ET at the FTC’s Constitution Center building at 400 7th St SW Washington, D.C, 20024. Registration will be required to attend in-person. A link to the livestream will be posted to FTC.gov the morning of the event.

  • Agenda

    Wednesday, June 4

    9:00 AM

    Welcome Keynote

    Andrew N. Ferguson, Chairman, Federal Trade Commission
    9:20 AM

    Remarks

    Marsha Blackburn, US Senator for Tennessee
    9:40 AM

    Panel: “Are Kids in Danger Online?”

    Many Americans are concerned that the Internet is a dangerous place for kids. Our children are exposed to age-inappropriate and often harmful content on a regular basis – meanwhile, Big Tech firms refuse to take responsibility for this unsafe environment of their own making. Speakers on this panel will dive into some of the specific harms children currently suffer online, while also detailing many of Big Tech’s exploitative practices.

    Moderator: Chris Mufarrige, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission

    Panelists:

    • Maurine Molak, Founder, David’s Legacy Foundation
    • Dawn Hawkins, Senior Advisor, National Center on Sexual Exploitation
    • Michael Toscano, Director of the Family First Technology Institute for the Institute for Family Studies 
    10:40 AM

    Break
    11:00 AM

    Panel: “How Can the FTC Help to Protect Kids Online?”

    Both the Trump Administration and Congress have taken a particular interest in passing laws to safeguard children on the Internet. This welcome collaboration resulted in the passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which President Trump signed into law last month. Speakers on this panel will discuss how this new law works and the FTC’s role in implementation. They will also discuss other actions the FTC could take – under existing law – to further shield kids from online harm.

    Moderator: Kate White, Deputy Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission

    Panelists:

    • Dr. Meg Leta Jones, Communication, Culture, and Technology Program, Georgetown University
    • Wes Hodges, Director, Center for Technology and the Human Person, Heritage Foundation
    • Jake Denton, Chief Technology Officer, Federal Trade Commission 
    12:00 PM

    Lunch
    12:45PM

    Panel: “Is Age Verification the Future of the Internet?”

    20 states have passed age verification laws to protect kids from harmful content on online websites. Meanwhile, Utah has passed an age verification law that would impose parental consent requirements at the app store level – and several other states are considering similar bills. Speakers on this panel will provide insight into how these age verification laws work to protect children. They will examine the possibility of Congress passing a federal age verification law. And they will also discuss the ongoing litigation (including Paxton v. Free Speech Coalition at the Supreme Court) that may affirm these efforts or serve as a potential roadblock.

    Moderator: Jon Schweppe, Senior Policy Advisor, Federal Trade Commission

    Panelists:

    • Rep. Laurie Schlegel, Louisiana House of Representatives
    • Terry Schilling, President, American Principles Project
    • Melissa McKay, Chair, Digital Childhood Alliance
    • Joseph Kohm, Director of Public Policy, Family Policy Alliance 
    1:45 PM

    Break
    2:00 PM

    Panel: “What Can Be Done Outside of Washington, D.C.?”

    State and federal legislators are taking action, but what can be done in our local communities? And what can parents do individually to protect their own kids from harm? The panelists will discuss the current state of play for families trying to stay ahead of the curve.

    Moderator: Annie Chiang, Attorney Advisor to Chairman, Federal Trade Commission

    Panelists:

    • Clare Morell, Senior Fellow, Ethics & Public Policy Center
    • Dr. Matthew Mehan, Associate Dean, Hillsdale College Van Andel Graduate School of Government 
    3:00 PM

    Break
    3:15 PM

    Remarks

    Melissa Holyoak, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission
    3:30 PM

    Remarks

    Katie Britt, US Senator for Alabama
    3:45 PM

    Closing Remarks

    Mark R. Meador, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission

FTC Privacy Policy

Under the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) or other laws, we may be required to disclose to outside organizations the information you provide when you pre-register for events that require registration. The Commission will consider all timely and responsive public comments, whether filed in paper or electronic form, and as a matter of discretion, we make every effort to remove home contact information for individuals from the public comments before posting them on the FTC website.

The FTC Act and other laws we administer permit the collection of your pre-registration contact information and the comments you file to consider and use in this proceeding as appropriate. For additional information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, see the Commission’s Privacy Act system for public records and comprehensive privacy policy.

This event will be open to the public and may be photographed, videotaped, webcast, or otherwise recorded.  By participating in this event, you are agreeing that your image — and anything you say or submit — may be posted indefinitely at ftc.gov or on one of the Commission's publicly available social media sites.

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