Federal Trade Commission history

The FTC opened its doors on March 16, 1915.

Agency independence: A 1935 Supreme Court case stemming from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's firing of a commissioner helped establish the independence of government agencies like the FTC. The ruling confirmed that, based on the FTC Act, only Congress could remove FTC commissioners.

Quick tip: The FTC also has powers stemming from amendments to laws other than just the FTC Act. For example, based on the Robinson-Patman Act of 1936, which amended the Clayton Act (another antitrust law), the FTC also enforces against price discrimination.

The FTC did not formally have a consumer protection mission until the passage of the Wheeler–Lea Amendments in 1938.

In 1975, Congress gave the FTC the authority to adopt industry-wide trade regulation rules.

So, in 1999, the FTC filed a complaint regarding a proposed merger between Exxon and Mobil, which the agency said would reduce competition in several areas.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of that event, the Bureau of Economics held a roundtable on September 4, 2003.

In 2009, for example, the world’s first video advertisements to be embedded in a print publication appeared in Entertainment Weekly magazine.

Looking into consumer privacy: In 2020, the FTC issued orders to nine social media and video streaming platforms to share more about their use of consumers' personal information, among other data.