Samuel A.A. Levine — From FTC Enforcer to NYC’s Top Consumer Watchdog

NYC’s new Commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, Samuel A.A. Levine, joins The Perez Notes for a deep dive into the future of consumer rights and worker protection in America’s largest city.

Before taking the helm at DCWP in January 2026, Levine led the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, overseeing national enforcement and rulemaking across privacy, data security, digital advertising, financial services, algorithmic decision-making, worker protection, and small business financing. Now, he brings that federal firepower to New York City.

We discuss:

• What aggressive enforcement looks like at the city level

• Cracking down on predatory business practices

• Worker protections in the gig and AI economy

• Data privacy and algorithmic accountability

• Protecting small businesses and immigrant communities

• How DCWP fits into the broader Mamdani-era political landscape

A Harvard Law graduate and longtime consumer advocate, Levine has spent his career challenging illegal foreclosures, prosecuting predatory colleges, and shaping national consumer protection policy. Now he’s applying that experience to NYC.

This is a conversation about power, enforcement, and who government works for.

🎙️ From The Perez Notes

#NYCPolitics #ConsumerProtection #SamuelLevine #DCWP #FTC #WorkerRights #DataPrivacy #NYC #ThePerezNotes