OVERNIGHT TECH: Wheeler to come before Senate Commerce panel

Wheeler also stressed that the agency should promote competition in the market, arguing that “competitive markets produce better outcomes than regulated or uncompetitive markets.”

Overall Wheeler’s statement to the committee is largely vague and notably silent on his positions about hot-button policy issues, such as net neutrality, spectrum auctions and mergers. FCC nominees have typically tried to stay neutral in their statements during nomination hearings in order to avoid a future confirmation battle, but Wheeler will likely be pressed by Commerce Committee members to voice his positions on these divisive policy areas.

{mosads}Democrats on the panel are expected to focus their questions on net neutrality and the E-Rate and Lifeline programs. GOP members, on the other hand, are expected to ask about Wheeler’s stance on merger conditions. Senators could take issue with Wheeler’s writings from 2011 that argued the FCC should have approved the AT&T/T-Mobile merger with aggressive new regulatory requirements

In response to a committee questionnaire, Wheeler said the top top three challenges facing the FCC are “the successful implementation of the Public Safety Spectrum Act”; “the transition from an analog switched circuit” to an all-IP network; and “the opportunities presented for advancing civil society through evolving network technologies,” according to a GOP Commerce staff memo obtained by The Hill.

Pai calls for Congress to pass cellphone unlocking bill ahead of sweeping copyright reform: Republican FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai urged Congress to pass legislation that would make cellphone unlocking legal during an event hosted by TechFreedom and the Competitive Enterprise Institute on Monday. That legislation should also extend to other devices so consumers can switch wireless carriers for their tablets, netbooks and other gadgets without running afoul of copyright law.

“Consumers shouldn’t be put in the position of migrating some of their electronics, but not others, from one carrier to the next,” Pai said, according to prepared remarks. “Let’s make sure all wireless communications devices are included in the fix.”

The Republican commissioner said Congress should focus on tackling the cellphone unlocking issue first because it has momentum behind it.

“Right now, there is wide support for removing cellphone unlocking from the ambit of copyright law. We should push that proposal across the finish line, for if it becomes entangled with more controversial issues, there’s a pretty good chance that it’ll get stuck in the starting blocks,” he said, according to prepared remarks.

Questions to be raised about illicit prescription drug ads on YouTube at NAAG: At the National Association of Attorneys General summer meeting on Tuesday, Digital Citizens Alliance Executive Director Tom Galvin will present findings of a report his organization recently published concluding that online ads and videos for illegal online pharmacies are rife on Google-owned YouTube.

In its study, the DCA observed that several ads for illicit online pharmacies ran alongside videos on YouTube that promoted websites where people illegally can buy drugs without a prescription. Both Google and these illicit online pharmacies profit from the ads, Galvin said. The DCA found that a search with the phrase ‘buy Tramadol without a prescription” on YouTube served up 900 search results.

Google has taken steps to rectify the problem after the DCA’s report garnered media attention, Galvin said, but argued that a long-term solution is needed.

“It just seems like Google is treating this like a PR problem. In other words, ‘We’re getting bad publicity. So let’s scrub it up,'” he said. “We know they’re cleaning it up while the attention is on them, but the attention won’t stay on them, so the bad actors will go back on YouTube.”

A Google spokesman said the company takes user safety seriously and that YouTube’s guidelines prohibit content that encourages dangerous activities, including the sale of illegal drugs.

“YouTube’s review teams respond to videos flagged for our attention around the clock, removing any content that violates our policies,” the spokesman said. “We also have stringent advertising guidelines, and work to prevent ads appearing against any video, channel or page once we determine that the content is not appropriate for our advertising partners.”

ON TAP

Gen. Keith Alexander, the director of the National Security Agency, will testify during an House Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday about the recent NSA surveillance program leaks and how the programs helped thwart terrorist attacks. Also slated to testify are Deputy Attorney General James Cole, Sean Joyce, deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Robert Litt, general counsel for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

GAO: IRS needs to keep an eye on virtual currencies: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) could do more to inform taxpayers dabbling in virtual currencies that their activities could be taxable, according to a new government report.

Clear Channel hired Dem operative to lead political ad business: Campaign operative Nathan Daschle has joined Clear Channel as its executive vice president for political strategy, a new position created for the 2014 election cycle, the company announced Monday. 

Snowden: Facebook, Google ‘misleading’ in denials about surveillance program: NSA leaker Edward Snowden said Google and Facebook “were misleading” when they publicly denied knowing about the NSA’s Internet surveillance program in recent statements.

FCC proposes making TV menus accessible to blind: Federal regulators are unveiling draft rules to make cable and television menus accessible to the blind and visually impaired.

Law firm snags veteran of tech antitrust battles: Technology antitrust expert Jeffrey Blumenfeld has joined Lowenstein Sandler to lead its antitrust and trade regulation practice.

Apple details law enforcement requests for customer data: Apple on Sunday followed other tech companies in detailing the U.S. government’s requests for user data in the wake of disclosures about the National Security Agency’s secret surveillance programs.

Please send tips and comments to Brendan Sasso, bsasso@digital-staging.thehill.com, and Jennifer Martinez, jmartinez@digital-staging.thehill.com.

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