The FTC has also become more active in the privacy arena. And it continues to issue a variety of publications for consumers and businesses on fair practices. Pitofsky had served as an FTC commissioner before, and held a senior staff job during the Nixon administration. He was teaching law at Georgetown University when President Clinton appointed him chairman of the FTC in 1995, and he has written texts on antitrust and trade regulation. He calls himself an antitrust true believer.
Antitrust policy comes in several parts.
One is policing violators. Another is reviewing mergers and acquisitions, the pace of which has surged in recent years. The FTC and Justice Department Antitrust Division pretty much split antitrust enforcement. They split their reviews by industry sectors. The FTC takes the lead on retailing, oil and pharmaceuticals, for example, while the Justice Department always handles communications and transportation.