FTC Announces Tentative Agenda for May 19 Open Commission Meeting

Today, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan announced that an open meeting of the Commission will be held virtually on Thursday, May 19, 2022. The open meeting will commence at 1pm ET and will begin with time for members of the public to address the Commission.

The following items will be on the tentative agenda for the May 19 Commission meeting:

Business Before the Commission

• Policy Statement on Education Technology and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act: The Commission will vote on a policy statement that announces the agency’s prioritization of the enforcement of COPPA as it applies to the use of education technology. Particularly as the use of education technology has expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement makes clear that parents and schools must not be required to sign up for surveillance as a condition of access to tools needed to learn.

• Request for Public Comment on Amendments to the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising: FTC staff will provide a presentation and the Commission will vote on a request for public comment on proposed amendments to the Endorsement Guides. These proposed revisions will address fake reviews and the suppression of negative reviews, among other things, and also update the guidance generally to reflect current advertising realities concerning endorsements.

At the start of the meeting, Chair Khan will offer brief remarks and will then invite members of the public to share feedback on the Commission’s work generally and bring relevant matters to the Commission’s attention. Members of the public must sign up for an opportunity to address the Commission virtually at the May 19 event.

Each commenter will be given two minutes to share their comments. Those who cannot participate during the event may submit written comments or a link to a prerecorded video through a webform. Speaker registration and comment submission will be available through Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 8 pm ET.

The FTC’s public meeting agendas will be posted on the Commission’s website at least seven days prior to the Commission’s next monthly meeting. A link to the event will be available in advance of the meeting via FTC.gov. The event will be recorded, and the webcast and any related comments will be available on the Commission’s website after the meeting. The Commission retains discretion to make public comments available following the event on ftc.gov. Due to challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis, open meetings will be held virtually until further notice.