A bill introduced Friday would boost the Federal Trade Commission’s authority by empowering the agency to fine companies the first time they commit an unfair or deceptive practice, and to more easily issue regulations. “For too long, the FTC has been hamstrung in its ability to promulgate effective rules of the road for consumers and penalize companies that harm our friends and neighbors,” Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Florida) said Friday when she announced the “21st Century FTC Act.”
