FTC merger review set for major overhaul under Trump, acting chairwoman says

A major overhaul of antitrust policy under the new Trump administration will feature more “regulatory humility” and greater protection of intellectual property rights, the new head of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said.

Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen, appointed acting chairwoman of the FTC by President Trump on 25 January, disclosed the plan during a 24 January appearance at a Heritage Foundation antitrust conference.

She also revealed that the FTC will soon conclude a “remedy study” — initiated in 2015 — that examines whether divestitures and other merger conditions are effective at restoring competition.

“President Trump took office four days ago and all signs point to a new antitrust policy,” Ohlhausen told the audience.

As this news service reported, another key component of the overhaul involves narrowing the scope of “second requests” during merger investigations.