On Wednesday of this week by a vote of 51-50 with the Vice President breaking the tie, the U.S. Senate formally confirmed Alvaro Bedoya as a member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Bedoya, who is the Founding Director of Georgetown University’s Center of Privacy and Technology as well as a Visiting Professor at the DC school, has taken a strong interest in the franchise business model. Further, his interest ensuring equity between franchisors and franchisees in the relationship is such that he has met in the past with the Board of the Coalition of Franchisee Associations (CFA). His confirmation to the FTC, which has been largely deadlocked (2 democrat and 2 republican appointees) for the past year plus, gives the agency a full complement of five commissioners – with a 3-2 democrat majority -allowing it to move forward on a host of issues, perhaps even including updating the FTC Franchise Rule!