FTC chief warns against 'unnecessary' Net regulations

update: WASHINGTON--The head of the Federal Trade Commission on Monday voiced reluctance toward adopting consumer protection laws that target technological concerns du jour, saying the "collective voice" of consumers often prompts change.

Deborah Platt Majoras, the agency's Republican chairwoman, said she prefers relying on a combination of existing laws, vigorous competition and user pressure to address complaints about new products or potentially worrisome uses of technology.

For proof, look no further than a situation in September in which hundreds of thousands of users of the popular social-networking site Facebook rebelled against a new feature that some charged was Big Brother-esque, Majoras said. Within days, the site's president had quieted some of the fury by giving users the option of turning off the "minifeed," which showed users whenever someone in their network makes a change to their relationship status, favorite music or other profile information.
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