FTC Sets Enforcement Priorities in 2026–2030 Strategic Plan
The FTC unveiled its Strategic Plan for FY 2026–2030, detailing enforcement priorities and goals.
Why it matters: Legal professionals advising on regulatory compliance need to track the FTC's updated priorities, as they signal new enforcement hot spots—especially around children's online privacy and business practices.
- The FTC's 2026–2030 Strategic Plan emphasizes balanced enforcement, competition, and consumer protection.
- Protecting children online—especially under COPPA and the Take It Down Act—is a top focus.
- Three main goals: protect consumers, promote fair competition, enhance agency operations.
- The Commission vote was unanimous, adopting the plan 2-0 on April 3, 2026.
The Federal Trade Commission released its Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2026–2030 on April 3, 2026, after a unanimous 2-0 Commission vote. The plan outlines the agency’s mission and strategic goals for the next five years, providing crucial guidance for in-house and outside legal teams monitoring regulatory risk.
- The updated mission now commits the FTC to enforcement “without unduly burdening legitimate business activity,” marking a commitment to balance in oversight.
- Protecting children’s online safety receives top billing. This priority will involve strong enforcement of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and new authority granted by the Take It Down Act. The agency notes, “Children’s online safety is one of the most important consumer protection issues of our time.”
- The plan lays out three primary goals: protecting consumers from unfair or deceptive practices, promoting fair competition, and modernizing agency operations and infrastructure.
- Cybersecurity will remain a critical area, with the FTC stating plans to “continue to address the challenges of a constantly evolving cybersecurity landscape.”
Over recent years, the FTC has returned $7 billion to consumers through enforcement actions, with individual case settlements exceeding $145 million. Legal and compliance teams should review these priorities closely when advising clients on risk exposure and operational strategy.
By the numbers:
- $7 billion — Total returned to consumers from FTC enforcement actions in recent years
- $145 million — Recent individual settlements from key enforcement cases
Yes, but: The plan leaves open questions about implementation details of Take It Down Act authority and lacks specific performance metrics for children's online safety.