PRESS RELEASE: President Trump’s Attempt to Fire FTC Commissioners Is a Lawless Gift to Big Tech 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, President Trump illegally attempted to fire FTC Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya in a direct assault on the federal government’s foremost defender of consumers. The President’s order threatens to shred the Federal Trade Commission’s independence and stifle its ability to protect consumers, promote competition, and rein in Big Tech’s abuses.  

“The Federal Trade Commission has worked to protect consumers for more than 100 years. President Trump’s illegal attempt to fire independent commissioners is an affront to the rule of law and makes all Americans less safe,” said EPIC Executive Director Alan Butler. 

The Supreme Court explicitly held in 1935 that the commissioners the FTC—an independent agency—can only be fired for cause. This allows Congress to insulate the important work of the Commission from unwarranted politicization while still ensuring presidential oversight.  

President Trump’s order purporting to fire Commissioners Slaughter and Bedoya ignores that well established law and threatens the agency’s vital work to protect consumers from harmful business and data practices. Without independence from the President, the Commission will be far less likely and able to hold Big Tech accountable—a direct benefit to companies controlled by billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.  

“The illegal attempts to fire FTC Commissioners Slaughter and Bedoya will harm everyday Americans and benefit the Big Tech companies who want to avoid oversight of their harmful business practices,” said EPIC Deputy Director Caitriona Fitzgerald.  

For decades, EPIC has worked with the Commission under different administrations to safeguard consumers’ data against abuses from Big Tech. EPIC has previously condemned President Trump’s gutting of bipartisan, independent agencies like the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. 

“This is a shamelessly illegal act designed to help predatory businesses and silence two fearless defenders of the American consumer,” said EPIC Director of Litigation John Davisson. “We look forward to continuing to work with Commissioners Slaughter and Bedoya to protect consumers from harmful business practices as the courts dispose of the President’s lawless order.” 

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About EPIC 

EPIC (the Electronic Privacy Information Center) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit established in 1994 to protect privacy, freedom of expression, and democratic values in the information age through advocacy, research, and litigation. EPIC has long advocated for robust safeguards to protect Americans’ personal information and has played a key role in the development of the FTC’s authority to safeguard consumer privacy.