In a highly unusual move, the Federal Trade Commission announced today that it’s investigating the massive data breach at credit reporting agency Equifax.
The Washington Post reports the probe adds the nation’s top consumer watchdog to the chorus of federal lawmakers and regulators expressing alarm over the unauthorized access of data belonging to 143 million people.
It remains unclear what aspects of the breach the FTC is looking into, but the agency’s disclosure of the ongoing probe is unusual and underscores the enormous stakes involved in the incident.
“The FTC typically does not comment on ongoing investigations,” says Peter Kaplan, the agency’s acting director of public affairs. “However, in light of the intense public interest and the potential impact of this matter, I can confirm that FTC staff is investigating the Equifax data breach.”
