Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission, has proven to be a controversial figure – perhaps because, unlike some of her predecessors, she seems determined to actually do her job. Under her leadership, the FTC has taken tough actions against some of the biggest tech companies in America, causing frustration among Silicon Valley executives. As a result, there are quite a few people who want to see her leave when the next administration – whether it be Trump or Harris – enters the White House.
A new report suggests there is a good chance Harris will retain Khan if she wins the presidency. Politico wrote that one of Harris’ top economic advisers, Brian Deese, “called for” keeping Khan in her position. The outlet cites sources familiar with the campaign.
Gizmodo reached out to Harris’ campaign for comment.
The list of tech executives who have criticized Khan is long. Earlier this year, LinkedIn billionaire and Democratic donor Reid Hoffman caused a stir when he publicly suggested that if Harris wins the presidency, she should fire Khan. Hoffman said Khan “is not helping America” and he hopes “Vice President Harris will replace her.” It is worth noting that Hoffman is a major investor in Microsoft, which has faced heavy scrutiny from Khan’s agency over its various business deals. Hoffman later appeared on Jake Tapper’s show on CNN and tried to defend himself against charges of influence peddling.
Other tech companies have also criticized the regulatory agency. Last summer, lawyers for the company formerly known as Twitter accused Khan’s agency of bias against the platform and its new owner, Elon Musk. According to Jon Stewart, he was instructed by Apple officials not to interview Khan during his short-lived show on Apple TV, The Problem with Jon Stewart. Amazon once accused Khan of making an “unfair call” regarding “Amazon’s role in antitrust enforcement.” It is not hard to imagine that other giant companies that have been subject to scrutiny by the FTC (such as Meta, for example) are also likely not pleased with her.
As chair of the FTC, Khan has taken aggressive actions against major players in the tech industry. Last September, Khan filed a lawsuit against Amazon, alleging the company engaged in an illegal monopolistic power over markets, allowing it to inflate prices and reduce product quality. Last year, under Khan’s leadership, the FTC proposed a comprehensive ban on Meta’s youth data mining. In 2022, Khan’s FTC sued to block the merger between Microsoft and Blizzard-Activision, although her efforts were ultimately thwarted by a federal judge. The FTC also sought to unwind Meta’s acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp (although this effort predates Khan’s tenure with the agency, it continued under her leadership). Khan also investigated the relationship between OpenAI and Microsoft and expressed concerns about the increasing concentration of power within the AI industry, as well as sought to shine a light on the massive growth of consumer surveillance through adtech in the U.S.
