OVERNIGHT TECH: Senate Commerce Committee to consider FTC nominees

THE LEDE: Federal Trade Commission nominees Jon Leibowitz and Maureen Ohlhausen will testify before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Tuesday.

President Obama has nominated Leibowitz to serve a second term as chairman of the commission. Leibowitz has led the agency since 2009 and served as a commissioner since 2004. 

During his tenure, the FTC has stepped up enforcement of online privacy protections and data security standards. The FTC reached settlements with Google and Twitter over their handling of user data, and The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the agency is near a settlement with Facebook over charges that it changed its privacy policy without users' consent. Leibowitz has called for websites to implement a "do not track" feature that would allow users to opt out of data collection, saying an industry-led effort would be preferable to a congressional mandate.

The FTC is also currently investigating Google for potentially anti-competitive behavior.  

The committee will also consider the nomination of Ohlhausen to serve as an FTC commissioner. Ohlhausen most recently worked for DC law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, specializing in consumer protection, privacy and data security issues. Before that, she worked for the FTC for 12 years, including as the director of the Office of Policy Planning, where she focused on e-commerce, advertising and technology issues, according to the bio on the law firm's website.

ON TAP TUESDAY:

Opponents of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) will hold a press conference in the Capitol Visitor Center to publicize why they think the measure is a threat to the operation of the Internet. Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) have been invited to speak. Other speakers will include Gigi Sohn of Public Knowledge and Ed Black of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, as well as representatives from the Consumer Electronics Association, Demand Progress, Americans for Job Security and Don't Censor the Net.

Supporters of the bill argue it will crackdown on online copyright infringement.

The House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security will hold a hearing on cybersecurity. Witnesses will include Michael Chertoff, the former secretary of Homeland Security, and Richard Downing of the Justice Department's computer crime unit.    

The House Homeland Security Committee subcommittee on Border Security will hold a hearing examining how the Department of Homeland Security can use military technology to better safeguard the border. 

Microsoft will host a panel discussion about addressing the privacy and safety concerns of cloud computing. Speakers will include Ari Schwartz, a senior policy adviser for the Commerce Department; Susie Adams, Microsoft's chief technology officer for federal civilian business; and David McClure, an associate administrator for the General Services Administration.

ICYMI:

A coalition of cable television providers, labor unions and a media reform group accused broadcast television stations of undermining the Federal Communications Commission's media ownership rules by coordinating their operations on Monday

Five nonprofit groups urged the Supreme Court to strike down the Federal Communications Commission's policy of fining broadcast television stations for airing indecent content such as profanity.

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