President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Andrew Ferguson, a Republican FTC commissioner, as the new chair of the Federal Trade Commission, replacing Lina Khan, who on Tuesday won a major victory when a federal judge blocked the Kroger-Albertsons merger.
Kahn took on numerous antitrust cases and, while Ferguson is not expected to be as aggressive, he is expected to continue targeting Big Tech monopolies. Cases against Google, Meta, Apple, and Amazon, initiated during Trump’s first term, are still ongoing.
Ferguson will likely face challenges balancing populist Republicans who support stricter antitrust enforcement with pro-business conservatives.
Trump praised Ferguson’s record of opposing Big Tech censorship and called him the most "America First" FTC chair in history. Ferguson, who joined the FTC in April, previously served as Virginia’s solicitor general.
As a commissioner, he has opposed some of Khan’s policies, such as banning non-compete clauses and simplifying subscription cancellations.
The FTC enforces competition laws and protects consumers, focusing on issues like digital privacy and deceptive practices. Under Biden, the agency took a tough stance on corporate power and Big Tech, which drew praise from progressives but criticism from business groups.