On June 17, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Edith Ramirez appointed FTC veteran Jessica Rich as the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection. Rich has been an attorney with the FTC for 20 years and is an expert in privacy, data and identity protection, and new technologies. Since January 2012, Rich has served as Associate Director in charge of the Division of Financial Practices. During her career at the FTC, she has also served as the Acting Associate Director and Assistant Director of the Bureau’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Assistant Director in the Division of Financial Practices, and counselor to the Bureau Director. Chairwoman Ramirez, who was appointed in March by President Obama, has strongly articulated her interest in shaping privacy policy and bringing privacy enforcement actions. The appointment of Rich, who drafted the first iteration of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and is considered one of the most influential attorneys at the FTC in the field of privacy and online behavioral advertising, signals a strengthening commitment to enforcing online consumer privacy protection. For additional information, read the FTC’s press release covering its recent senior staff appointments.
