Net-neutrality expert to join FTC as adviser

Tim Wu, a law professor and author best known for coining theterm "net neutrality," will join the Federal Trade Commission as asenior adviser.

Wu, a professor at Columbia University's law school, will take aleave of absence to serve with FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz on issuesrelated to consumer protection and competition in the Internet andmobile markets, the university said. Wu will start Feb. 14 in theFTC's Office of Policy Planning.

"Tim is an incredibly bright and creative thinker, and the FTCcan never have too deep of a bench," Leibowitz said in a newsrelease. "Although he may be known for his work on net neutrality,here at the FTC he'll be working on issues at the nexus of consumerprotection, competition, law and technology."

Wu recently wrote "The Master Switch," which looks at monopoliesin the information communications industries.

"I think there are critical periods in industry formation wherethere is a strong need for a public voice," Wu said in a statementreleased by the FTC. "The Internet platform has given rise to newand hard problems of privacy, data retention, deceptive advertising,billing practices, standard-setting and vertical foreclosure, justto name a few."

Earlier Tuesday, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) asked the FTC toinvestigate in-app purchases on Apple devices for potentialdeceptive marketing.