OVERNIGHT TECH: Senate panel marks up bill to televise Supreme Court

THE LEDE: The Senate Judiciary Committee will mark up a bill on Thursday that would permit the televising of Supreme Court proceedings. Allowing cameras into the Supreme Court has been a controversial topic for some time, but it has gained momentum thanks to the upcoming challenge of the Obama administration's healthcare reform law. Proponents argue the court's proceedings should be open to the public because transcripts are already distributed after the fact. Critics suggest the changes could lead to grandstanding and affect how the court does business.

DOT official knocks LightSquared network: Transportation deputy secretary John Porcari told the House Transportation and Infrastructure's subcommittee on Aviation on Wednesday that LightSquared's planned wireless network is "not compatible" with flight-safety GPS devices used in commercial aircrafts. Porcari told lawmakers that LightSquared would disrupt GPS systems that pilots use to help them navigate in low altitudes, including devices that warn them when they are getting too close to terrain. He acknowledged it was "quite unusual" that the Federal Aviation Administration had spent $2 million testing the network and said "further investment cannot be justified at this time."

FTC settles charges with alleged robocall scammers: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Wednesday settled charges with four defendants accused of cheating more than 13,000 consumers out of $13 million through a robocalling scam. According to the commission, the scammers claimed that for $995, they could dramatically reduce consumers' credit card interest rates. They falsely said they would refund consumers if they did not save at least $2,500, according to the complaint.

At most, the defendants sometimes tried to negotiate with credit card companies in a three-way call with the consumer. But they often did not make the calls at all, and when they did, they were unsuccessful, the FTC said.

"Instead of a reduction in interest rates, consumers, who were already in dire financial straits, found themselves saddled with an additional $995 credit card charge," the FTC said in a statement.

Under the settlement, the defendants were ordered to pay $159,000, and the court will sell off some of their assets for additional funds. They are also banned from future robocalling or selling debt-relief services.

Experts: Major telecom providers most secure: The major telecom providers have done a good job securing their networks and don’t require further regulation by the government, experts told the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Communications and Technology on Wednesday. James Lewis, the director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said telecom companies have addressed cybersecurity on a level that other sectors have not. Internet Security Alliance President Larry Clinton was adamant that cost is the main barrier to firms bolstering their cybersecurity, not the absence of clear security guidelines or best practices.

ON TAP THURSDAY:

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on the Justice Department's opinion of how Internet gaming could affect tribes. The Justice Department backtracked in December to announce the Wire Act doesn't ban interstate wagers, opening the door for states to set up online gambling sites.

FCC sets agenda for February open meeting: At next Wednesday's open meeting, the commission will consider a report and order to protect consumers from unwanted robocalls by requiring firms to obtain consent and make it easy to opt out of receiving the calls. The commission will also consider revising the licensing model for the wireless service from site-based to geographically-based and extending outage reporting to Voice over Internet Providers (VoIP).

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