Matthew Wernz is the Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Southwest Region in Dallas. The FTC is the nation’s general-jurisdiction consumer protection agency. The Commission investigates and litigates cases to stop practices that violate federal consumer protection laws and to return money to harmed consumers. During Matt’s tenure, the Southwest Region has taken action against online platforms that have engaged in unreasonable privacy and data security practices, illegal subscription practices, and deceptive advertising, and also has brought suit to stop misleading financial practices, robocalls, and pyramid schemes. Before serving as Regional Director, Matt was an attorney in the FTC’s Midwest Region in Chicago from 2010 until 2020, and, in 2021, Counsel to the Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. Before joining the FTC, Matt graduated cum laude from Northwestern University School of Law and served as a law clerk for the Honorable Joan B. Gottschall of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.