The federal agencies responsible for protecting the public interest in the technology, telecommunications, and financial sectors are drifting from their core missions.
Without robust congressional oversight, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have become less accountable and less effective, leaving consumers, workers, and communities vulnerable.
For the first 10 months of this Congress, there have been no full oversight hearings for these critical independent agencies. While we wait for congressional leadership, civil society groups are stepping up.
Join Public Knowledge on November 12th for The People’s Oversight Hearing—a full day of civil society-hosted, public testimony to shine light on regulatory failures and Congress’s abdication of its oversight responsibility.
We are convening former agency staff, seasoned practitioners, civil society leaders, and engaged Members of Congress for in-depth discussions on:
- FCC Failures: Why families are still left without affordable, reliable broadband, why competition is shrinking, and the issue of political deputization that threatens free speech.
- FTC Drift: How corporate consolidation and harmful practices are going unchecked, weakening protections for consumers and small businesses, while the agency focuses on distracting “culture war” issues.
- CFPB Enforcement Gaps: The continued, massive drain of billions of dollars from working families due to fraud, junk fees, and predatory lending, and the lack of aggressive enforcement to stop it.
When agencies fail to do their jobs, public trust in government erodes, and corporations are given free rein to put profits over people. This moment calls for a clear path forward and a restoration of accountability.
Come join the conversation as we chart a course to restore agency accountability and ensure the government serves the public interest.
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Federal Trade Commission Hearing
Witnesses – Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter | FTC & Bilaal Sayyed | TechFreedom
Questioners – Lisa Hone, Anna Lenhart, Eric Null (Center for Democracy and Technology), John Davisson (EPIC), Shae Gardner (LGBT Tech), Frank Torres (Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights), David Brody