WASHINGTON: The Pakistani-origin critic of ‘Big Tech’ companies, Lina Khan, has received US President Joe Biden’s nod to head the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — an agency with authority over some mergers and antitrust policies.
“Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Lina Khan for Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission,” the White House said in a statement.
Lina Khan previously served as counsel to the US House of Representatives’ subcommittee on antitrust, which last year released a lengthy report suggesting grounds for breaking up giants such as Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple.
She also authored a 2017 paper called ‘Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox’, which outlined the growing dominance of the e-commerce and tech giant, which some say helped shift sentiment on antitrust.
The move is likely to trigger a contentious nomination fight, with some Republicans already expressing opposition to Khan. Utah Senator Mike Lee said earlier this month that “being less than four years out of law school, Khan lacks the experience necessary for such an important role as FTC Commissioner.”
