Samuel A.A. Levine
Samuel A.A. Levine | |
|---|---|
 Levine in 2022 | |
| Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2026 | |
| Mayor | Zohran Mamdani |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | |
Samuel A.A. Levine is an American attorney and consumer protection professional who currently serves as the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, a role he has held since 2026. He previously served as Director of the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection from 2021 to 2025.
Biography
Levine attended Washington University in St. Louis before attending Harvard Law School, where he earned his JD and led efforts to challenge illegal foreclosures. He then clerked for Judge Milton Shadur in Illinois and served as an Assistant Attorney General of the state.[1] He received the Gary Bellow Public Service Award from Harvard Law.[2]
He then worked as a staff attorney in the Federal Trade Commission Midwest Office and as an attorney-advisor to Commissioner Rohit Chopra.[2] Under Chair Lina Khan, he became Director of the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection, which he began in 2021 and left in January 2025.[3] In this role, he was described as having developed a reputation for targeting even violations that would previously have been let slide and utilizing laws that had long been left unused. He also worked on the prevention of trapped subscriptions[4] and opposed facial recognition software, including a suit against Rite Aid.[5] In a speech to the Consumer Data Industry Association, he criticized the data broker industry, many members of which were in the audience.[6]
He was named a Senior Fellow of the Center for Consumer Law and Economic Justice at the University of California, Berkeley in March 2025.[7] In August 2025, he testified regarding what he stated were harms emerging technology could pose to consumer privacy and personal information.[8]
On December 22, 2025, then-New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced Levine would be becoming the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection,[9] citing his "track record of achievement and... agenda of imagination".[3] He assumed this role in January 2026. In this role, Levine vowed more aggressive actions against deceptive business practices. A list he set forth of his priorities by the end of 2026 included preventing ghost jobs, supporting immigrants and renters, and reducing junk fees.[10] He also banned hidden hotel fees[4] and has worked on tipping in delivery.[11] He has been described as taking a broad view of the power in the department.[12]
He has received criticism from business leaders, including the Partnership for New York City, DoorDash, and Uber Eats.[10] He has called loyalty programs tools for surveillance pricing.[13][14] He has described the "notice and choice" system of data collection as a system that does not work well in the digital age.[15]
References
- ↑ "Leadership - DCWP". www.nyc.gov. Archived from the original on 2026-04-21. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- 1 2 "Samuel Levine". Federal Trade Commission. 2022-05-24. Archived from the original on 2026-04-17. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- 1 2 Rajamani, Maya (2025-12-22). "FTC alum tapped to lead Department of Consumer and Worker Protection". ny1.com. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- 1 2 Ng, Alfred (2026-03-24). "How Biden's former consumer protection chief is picking up the torch in New York". POLITICO. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Zahn, Max (2023-12-20). "Rite Aid banned from use of facial recognition in stores after thousands of false matches". ABC News. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Smalley, Suzanne (2023-09-21). "FTC official attacks data brokers at industry conference". therecord.media. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Shaw, Gwyneth K. (2025-03-24). "Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice Welcomes Former Agency Leaders as Senior Fellows". UC Berkeley Law. Archived from the original on 2026-05-11. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ "Levine testifies before U.S. Senate on online consumer privacy". UC Berkeley Law. 2025-08-01. Archived from the original on 2026-04-20. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Fordham, Heather (2025-12-22). "Mamdani appoints a former FTC director to lead Dept. of Consumer and Worker Protection". News 12 - Bronx. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- 1 2 Haag, Matthew (2026-01-15). "Mamdani's Consumer Protection Commissioner Vows More Aggressive Action". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2026-01-16. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Quigley, Liam (2026-01-13). "Regulators say DoorDash and Uber Eats chiseled NYC delivery workers out of $550M in tips". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Aquino, Alyssa (2026-05-08). "Mamdani's Consumer Protection Head Is Taking a Broad View of NYC's Power". Law.com. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Fowler, Geoffrey A. (2025-10-18). "The hidden way using a rewards card can cost you more". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2026-03-30. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Kim, Mina (2025-12-17). "How Loyalty Programs Manipulate Consumers and Steal Personal Data | KQED". www.kqed.org. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Klein, Olivia (2023-11-03). "'Even my most stressful days are deeply fulfilling'". Harvard Law School. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.