About FTC

For more than 50 years, the FTC has been the primary regulator of the advertising industry, and has been a leader on advertising issues, beginning with its cigarette advertising rules in the 1960s. Over that time, the FTC also has emerged as the primary US privacy regulator. Moreover, members of Congress and other policymakers look to the FTC for leadership, guidance, and expertise on these issues.

The challenge

How can we develop a holistic view of the complex and constantly evolving digital advertising markets and potential threats to consumers

The Federal Trade Commission seeks two Presidential Innovation Fellows to work within the Bureau of Consumer Protection’s Division of Litigation Technology and Analysis, Office of Technology (OTECH), to gather and analyze cutting-edge intelligence on digital advertising markets and help the agency and other policymakers shape and refine strategies with respect to policy development and efficient law enforcement.

A successful project will result in a deeper and broader understanding of current digital advertising markets, and a new framework by which agency staff can remain knowledgeable, up-to-date, and informed on future developments. A successful project will also result in a series of strong, practical recommendations for effective and efficient policy work and law enforcement that is consistent with the agency’s legal authority.

The two selected Presidential Innovation Fellows will work in OTECH to help the agency develop a deeper and broader understanding of digital advertising markets to be used in policy development, rulemaking, and law enforcement. Fellows will directly brief the Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection on key policy issues. Development of in-house digital advertising expertise and the ability to gather and analyze cutting-edge market intelligence in a timely way currently is one of the agency’s highest consumer protection priorities.

To be successful in this position, Presidential Innovation Fellows could possess a range of backgrounds and/or expertise in the areas of digital marketing and advertising networks. In particular, successful applicants would have one or more of the following areas of expertise or experience: business and technical expertise in digital marketing; awareness of digital trends, technologies, and industry standards; and/or broad knowledge or experience in key areas of marketing, including search engine optimization, search engine marketing, social media, or content marketing. Ideally, the two Fellows would have complimentary skills in these areas.