Subcommittee Chairwoman Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., who has held several hearings on consumer privacy, said it isn't yet clear what harm is being done to consumers. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., raised concerns about the White House's definition of data brokers, companies that collect and sell consumer data, which would be regulated under the legislative proposal. A representative of a trade group of online advertisers agreed, suggesting the law could cover most companies doing business online. But the industry groups at the hearing were more supportive of the White House's plan to develop voluntary codes of conduct in cooperation with industry.
However, privacy advocates and Federal Trade Commission chairman Jon Leibowitz both told lawmakers that industry self-regulation hasn't worked, with Leibowitz arguing that legislation could provide businesses with clarity on the rules and certainty for the future. Some GOP lawmakers appeared to agree that Congress should do something on privacy, including Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Joe Barton of Texas. But full committee chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., said he remains highly skeptical of the government's ability to regulate the Internet without breaking it.
FCC Overhaul Looks Dead in Senate: A spokesman for the Senate Commerce Committee confirmed Thursday that the panel has no intention of taking up the Federal Communications Commission overhaul legislation that passed the House earlier this week. The bill (HR 3309) from House telecom subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., would make it harder for the agency to issue regulations and limit the types of conditions it could place on mergers. Democrats have argued the bill would gut the agency's ability to protect the public interest. Lawmakers Wary About BioWatch: CQ Homeland Security's Jennifer Scholtes reports lawmakers are growing skeptical about the Department of Homeland Security's plan to upgrade the technology used to detect biological attacks. The Obama administration has requested $125 million in fiscal 2013 for the BioWatch program, which monitors the air in major U.S. cities for pathogens. But lawmakers want assurances the $40 million requested for technology upgrades will meet the project's requirements. Babbage Talks Facebook Passwords: The Economist's weekly Babbage podcast discusses whether job candidates should have to hand over their Facebook passwords and other tech questions. On the Move: Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, named Richard Russell to be the committee's minority staff director on Thursday. Russell joined the Committee in November as Republican legislative director; before that he was CEO of VIAforward, a tech-centered consulting firm. He previously served as the chief of staff in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President George W. Bush. He replaces Todd Bertoson, who plans to join a law firm in Washington to focus on public policy and regulation. Google Selling Tablets This Year: The Wall Street Journal reports Google will try to sell its own co-branded tablet computers later this year in an online store, the latest move in the firm's growing rivalry with Apple. Google tried the approach with Android smartphones but scrapped the effort after a few when other Android phones sold better. One tablet co-branded with Taiwanese tech company Asus is set to be released later this year, but Google will also start manufacturing its own tablets once China approves the $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility. Apple's iPad is estimated to hold roughly three-quarters of the growing market for tablets. DARPA Goes Deep on Data-Mining: Following up on yesterday's news, the Pentagon's advanced research arm announced it will play a key role in the Obama administration's new $200 million data-mining initiative. The administration is betting big that technology to sift through the mountains of data being generated today could lead to major breakthroughs in science and engineering. Other agencies involved include the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Energy Department and the U.S. Geological Survey. Transcripts: The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing Tuesday on securing the information technology supply chain. Cybersecurity experts have warned for years about the potential risk of federal agencies purchasing tech goods from foreign manufacturers that could come pre-loaded with malware. The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats held a hearing Tuesday on understanding future irregular warfare challenges, including cyberattacks. Security experts emphasized nation's vulnerability to cyberwarfare, arguing we have become heavily dependent on the Internet and other networks to power everything from critical infrastructure to the military.