Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller announced his intention to retire after his term ends in 2014 on Friday, according to a report from the Associated Press. The move ensures the Senate Committee with jurisdiction over the FCC, privacy, and a number of other key tech issues will have new leadership for the 114th Congress, and could have serious implications for the future battle over online privacy laws. The West Virginia Democrat was critical of how Web companies treat data collected from consumers online, and generally favored government intervention in order to prevent harm to consumers. With Rockefeller's retirement and Sen. John Kerry's expected ascension to Secretary of State, the Senate has now lost perhaps its two strongest proponents of new laws governing online privacy.
Rockefeller strongly backed the Federal Trade Commission's recent update to children's online privacy rules and has been heavily critical of the amount of violence in movies, video games, and other media popular with young users. In addition, he has used his gavel to press the Obama administration to implement cybersecurity regulations via executive order, in the face of widespread opposition from powerful industry lobbying groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Congress.
Tech companies will be watching closely to see who succeeds Rockefeller, with many hoping the next chairman will less inclined to regulate nascent areas such as cybersecurity or online advertising. California Democrat Barbara Boxer is next in seniority and would undoubtedly bring a more tech-friendly climate to the top slot, but other senior Democrats could be interested in the position, which has jurisdiction over a large portion of the U.S. economy.
Rockefeller's office has scheduled a press conference for 11 a.m. to detail his future plans. Rockefeller was facing facing a tough road to re-election thanks to his stalwart support for President Obama's agenda, combined with a strong challenger in the form of Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito. The scion of an influential industrial and political clan, Rockefeller arrived in West Virginia as a volunteer in 1964 and won his first elected office just two years later. He eventually rose to become a two-term governor before spending five terms representing West Virginia in the Senate.