Jon Leibowitz

Jonathan David Leibowitz (born June 17, 1958) is an American attorney who served under President Barack Obama as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 2009 to 2013.

Leibowitz attended the University of Wisconsin, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1980 with a bachelor's degree (B.A.) in American History.

From 1984 to 1986, Leibowitz was an attorney in private practice in Washington, D.C. Since leaving the FTC, Leibowitz was a partner at the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, where he helped found the "21st Century Privacy Coalition."

In 2021, he was appointed to the position of Senior Counsel in the Maryland Attorney General's office.

He also serves as Vice-Chair of the National Consumers League, a consumer advocacy organization.

Leibowitz grew up in Englewood, New Jersey, where he attended Dwight Morrow High School.

During his childhood, he developed a reputation as a "smart kid who didn't flaunt his intelligence, and who was friends with everyone".

After completing his undergraduate education, Leibowitz enrolled in the New York University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor degree (J.D.) in 1984.

In 1986, Leibowitz joined the staff of Senator Paul Simon (D-IL).

In 1989, Leibowitz became chief counsel for Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), serving in the position until 2000.

While serving in Kohl's office, Leibowitz additionally worked in the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice from 1991 to 1994, and as chief counsel to the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Technology from 1995 to 1996.

Additionally, he served as Democratic chief counsel and staff director for the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee from 1997 to 2000.

Prior to joining the FTC, Leibowitz was Vice President for Congressional Affairs from 2000 to 2004 of the MPAA.

Prior to this, Leibowitz served in a variety of roles on Capitol Hill, including as a counsel to the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee in the office of Senator Herb Kohl.

Leibowitz was appointed to the commission in 2004, and resigned in 2013.

During Leibowitz's tenure, the FTC brought privacy cases against Google, Facebook and others for violating consumer privacy, as well as enforcement against "pay-for-delay" deals in which pharmaceutical companies paid competitors to stay out of the market.

In 2004, President George W. Bush appointed Leibowitz to serve as a member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), replacing Mozelle W. Thompson.

Leibowitz was sworn in to the position on September 3, 2004, and on March 2, 2009 was chosen to serve as FTC Chair by President Barack Obama.

As of 2009, Leibowitz is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

companies responsible for the Great Recession—Countrywide settled for $108 million with the FTC in June 2010 for collecting excessive fees from borrowers who were struggling to keep their homes.

The agency released a preliminary staff report December 1, 2010 titled, Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: A Proposed Framework for Businesses and Policymakers.

With regard to consumer's online privacy, Leibowitz stated: "The FTC wants to help ensure that the growing, changing, thriving information marketplace is built on a framework that promotes privacy, transparency, business innovation and consumer choice. We believe that's what most Americans want as well."

In 2011, the FTC mailed 450,177 refund checks to homeowners who were allegedly overcharged by Countrywide.

Leibowitz was active in preserving competition in the health care and pharmaceutical sectors.

He criticized of "pay-for-delay" settlements in the pharmaceutical industry.

The Commission aggressively worked at stopping pay-for-delay patent settlements in the pharmaceutical industry.

These are deals in which a brand-name drug firm pays its potential generic drug rival to prevent price competition in the market.

As Leibowitz explained, the practice results not only in windfalls for both companies—sometimes of more than a billion dollars—but also in higher drug prices for consumers.

Leibowitz has published articles on this issue and advocates bringing cases against firms that engage in these practices.

An FTC study released in October 2011 revealed that some pharmaceutical companies continued to engage in pay-for-delay deals in FY 2011.

The findings prompted Leibowitz to ask Congress' "Super Committee" to restrict these deals, stating that it could help reduce the deficit and lower the nation's healthcare costs.

During Leibowitz's tenure, the agency focused on promoting consumer protection, competition and innovation in technology sectors, through both policy initiatives and law enforcement.

As FTC Chair, Leibowitz brought a number of high-profile privacy cases against Google, Facebook and other high profile technology companies for violating consumer privacy as well as major antitrust cases against multiple pharmaceutical companies for engaging in sweetheart "pay-for-delay" deals in which brand pharma companies paid generic competitors to stay out of the market.

Also, the FTC proposed revisions to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Rule in September 2011 and sought public comments.

Leibowitz said the revisions were in response to the rapid changes in technology.

"We want to ensure that the COPPA Rule is effective in helping parents protect their children online, without unnecessarily burdening online businesses. We look forward to the continuing thoughtful input from industry, children's advocates, and other stakeholders as we work to update the Rule."

In 2012, U.S. Senate confirmed Leibowitz's appointment for a second term.

Leibowitz resigned as both chair and as a member of the FTC on February 15, 2013.

During Leibowitz's tenure as chair, the FTC filed more than 40 law enforcement actions to stop scams that prey on consumers suffering from the economic downturn, such as foreclosure "rescue" and mortgage modification schemes, phony debt-reduction and credit-repair services, bogus government grant opportunities, job scams, and get-rich quick frauds.

In one of the largest judgments imposed in an FTC case—and one of the few major judgments against