Fireside Chat with FTC Commissioner Mark R. Meador on Priorities for 2026

Commissioner Mark R. Meador brings significant experience in competition policy to his FTC tenure and has wasted no time connecting the dots between antitrust goals and digital governance needs. Since his swearing in in April 2025, he has articulated a wide range of views regarding the attention economy, the importance of children’s privacy and safety, the erosion of trust caused by deepfakes, and the risks brought on by psychological attachment to human-like AI, while also highlighting the promise of technological innovation to improve the lives of consumers and their trust in the digital economy. Join Caitlin Fennessy, IAPP Vice President and Chief Knowledge Officer for a conversation with Commissioner Meador on his priorities for 2026, how he expects the FTC’s competition and consumer protection efforts will reinforce each other, and where organizations should focus in the coming year to avoid an FTC call.

What you will learn:

• Learn what to expect from the FTC in 2026.

• Understand how the FTC’s competition and consumer protection priorities could intersect.

• Hear how the FTC expects enforcement actions in privacy, cybersecurity, and AI governance to steer company approaches.