EVENT DETAILS

• Date and Time: January 23, 2025 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

You’re invited to join the Program on Economics & Privacy for our virtual webinar, Privacy Policy in the New Administration, hosted by the Law & Economics Center at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School.

Our panelists will provide a discussion on some of the important developments under the Biden administration, and what to expect in this area from the new Trump administration.

Adam Kovacevich,
Founder and CEO, Chamber of Progress

Adam Kovacevich is the Founder and CEO of the Chamber of Progress, a new center-left tech industry policy coalition promoting technology’s progressive future. The organization works to ensure that all Americans benefit from technological leaps, and that the tech industry operates responsibly and fairly. Adam is a veteran Democratic tech industry leader who has had a front row seat for more than 20 years in the tech industry’s political maturation. He is an expert in helping lead technology companies through today’s challenging political environment.

Maneesha Mithal,
Partner, Data, Privacy, and Cybersecurity, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Maneesha Mithal is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilson Sonsini and co-chair of the firm’s privacy and cybersecurity practice. Maneesha advises clients on privacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection matters and represents companies in regulatory investigations. She is also one of the founding members of Wilson Sonsini’s AI group. Maneesha is an internationally recognized expert on privacy and data security, having led the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) Division of Privacy and Identity Protection prior to joining the firm.

James Cooper, Moderator
Professor of Law and Director, Program on Economics & Privacy, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School

James C. Cooper brings over a decade of public and private sector experience to his research and teaching. Prior to joining the faculty at Scalia Law, he served as Deputy and Acting Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Policy Planning, Advisor to Federal Trade Commissioner William Kovacic, and as an associate in the antitrust group of Crowell & Moring, LLP. His research focuses on the law & economics of privacy, data security, and consumer protection, as well as on wide variety of topics surrounding competition policy.

2023 is turning out to be an eventful year for privacy policy.  The FTC has proposed modifications to its Facebook order that would keep Facebook from monetizing data from minors, and has flexed its enforcement powers through a broad interpretation of its Health Breach Notification Rule—one that it now wants to codify.  At the same time, a federal judge dismissed the Commission’s case against Kochava for failure to sufficiently allege consumer harm, and the Supreme Court dealt it another blow to the FTC in Axon, which is likely to spur additional challenges to the constitutionality of the FTC and its (recently amended) administrative adjudication procedures.   All the while, Congress continues to consider various privacy bills, with the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) appearing to gain the most traction.  And states are jumping in to fill the void left by congressional inaction with their own privacy laws, as well as laws directed at social media platforms.

Large tech platforms are in the crosshairs of antitrust enforcement. For example, both state and federal enforcers have announced investigations into Facebook and Google, and recently the FTC requested information from all of the major tech platforms on past acquisitions. What is more, the possibility that current antitrust laws may not be up to the task has led to several legislative proposals to reform relevant areas of the law.

Because most of these platforms collect information from consumers, it is not surprising to see data play an increasingly central role in antitrust analysis. The relationship between data and antitrust raises several important issues:

• Does traditional antitrust analysis work in industries that use “big data”?
• Do traditional antitrust tools work in zero-price markets?
• Should privacy be a goal of antitrust?
• To what extent do firms compete over privacy?
• How does privacy regulation impact competition?

Join the Global Antitrust Institute (GAI) and the Program on Economics and Privacy (PEP) on Wednesday, July 22 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM for a discussion with leading experts on these topics and other topics related to the data/antitrust interface.

Featuring:

James C. Cooper, Director, Program on Economics & Privacy; Associate Professor of Law, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University; Former Deputy Director of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Consumer Protection, and Former Acting Director, Office of Policy Planning, FTC

Jamillia Ferris, Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Bruce Hoffman, Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; Former Director, Bureau of Competition, FTC

Michael Kades, Director for Markets and Competition Policy, Washington Center for Equitable Growth

Moderator: John M. Yun, Director of Economic Education, Global Antitrust Institute; Associate Professor of Law, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University.

Legal Careers in Privacy Law

On April 15, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School alumni discussed different paths for a legal career in privacy and data security. This live webinar was open to students only.

Featuring:

Julian Flamant, Associate, Hogan Lovells

Khoury DiPrima, Associate, Kelley Drye

Brenda Leong, Senior Counsel and Director of Artificial Intelligence and Ethics, Future of Privacy Forum

Moderator: James Cooper, Professor of Law, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School and Director, Program on Economics & Privacy