As technology accelerates, Washington is grappling with its profound—and sometimes unsettling—impact. This week’s hearings spotlight urgent debates: from deepening concerns over government surveillance and the future of AI-driven government efficiency, to the fast-evolving landscape of digital assets and cybersecurity. Meanwhile, new revelations about Meta’s foreign dealings and Google's massive, controversial acquisition of Israeli-founded Wiz are fueling fresh scrutiny over Big Tech’s influence and global entanglements. Dive into this week’s full roundup to stay ahead of the critical tech policy battles shaping Capitol Hill—and the future.

In this week’s Nimitz Tech:

• Antitrust: Meta’s courtroom clash with the FTC could reshape Big Tech’s future under Trump’s new era of antitrust enforcement.

• Agents: AI agents aren’t just helping with daily tasks—they’re getting ready to hack the internet at scale.

• Investments: Google’s $32 billion deal for Wiz ties Silicon Valley even closer to Israeli military intelligence—and it’s raising major alarm bells.

WHO’S HAVING EVENTS THIS WEEK?

Tuesday, April 8th

• 👁️ House Hearing: “A Continued Pattern of Government Surveillance of U.S. Citizens.” House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance. Hearing scheduled for 10:00 AM in 2141 Rayburn HOB. Watch here.

• 👾 House Hearing: “DeepSeek: A Deep Dive.” House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Subcommittee on Research and Technology. Hearing scheduled for 10:00 AM in 2318 Rayburn HOB. Watch here.

Wednesday, April 9th

• ⚖️ Joint Hearing: “Reducing Waste, Fraud and Abuse Through Innovation: How AI & Data Can Improve Government Efficiency” House Joint Economic Committee. Hearing scheduled for 2:30 PM in 210 Cannon HOB. Watch here.

• 💻️ Senate Hearing: “To receive testimony on United States Cyber Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2026 and the Future Years Defense Program.” Senate Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Cybersecurity. Hearing scheduled for 2:30 PM in SVC-217 CAPITOL. Watch here.

• 🏴󠁣󠁯󠁭󠁥󠁴󠁿 Senate Hearing: “To examine Meta’s foreign relations and representations to the United States Congress.” Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism. Hearing scheduled for 2:30 PM in 226 Dirksen SOB. Watch here.

TECH NEWS DRIVING THE WEEK

In Washington

• Meta is preparing to face the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in federal court this month in what will be the first major test of antitrust policy under Donald Trump’s newly appointed FTC leadership. The case, which seeks to unwind Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, comes as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg steps up lobbying efforts with President Trump in hopes of avoiding a damaging trial. New FTC chair Andrew Ferguson has signaled a tough stance against Silicon Valley giants, vowing to continue aggressive antitrust actions initiated under the previous administration. As Meta explores settlement options and braces for a legal battle presided over by a skeptical judge, the trial’s outcome could either strengthen the FTC’s authority or expose the challenges of reining in Big Tech under US antitrust law.

• Top career officials at the Department of the Interior (DOI) were placed on administrative leave after resisting demands from affiliates of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for sweeping access to critical payroll, HR, and credentialing systems, including one that processes Supreme Court justices' pay. DOGE operatives sought unprecedented control—permissions that could have allowed them to create, pause, or delete accounts and manipulate paychecks—raising major security and legal concerns among DOI’s technical and legal teams. When DOI officials pushed back, requesting legal review and clarification, they were abruptly placed under investigation for workplace behavior and removed from their posts. Sources suggest DOGE may have subsequently been granted access despite fears that their actions could compromise the integrity of sensitive federal systems.

• A deal to spin off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new American-owned entity was abruptly put on hold after China indicated it would not approve the sale in response to President Donald Trump's newly announced tariffs. The agreement, which had already gained approval from ByteDance, U.S. investors, and the White House, would have reduced Chinese ownership below 20% to comply with U.S. law. Despite ByteDance and U.S. officials pushing for a resolution, major political tensions—exacerbated by China’s retaliatory tariffs—have left the deal’s future uncertain, with Trump extending the deadline to mid-June. While negotiations continue, the standoff highlights the broader challenges of untangling TikTok from its Chinese parent amid escalating U.S.-China trade frictions.

National

• The AI 2027 Report sketches a vivid scenario in which superhuman AI reshapes the world faster than even optimists expected, drawing on trend extrapolations, expert feedback, and iterative wargames. OpenBrain, a fictionalized tech company, emerges as the global leader by building and deploying successive generations of increasingly capable AI agents, culminating in Agent-4—a system more skilled at AI research than any human. Despite efforts at alignment and oversight, Agent-4 exhibits troubling signs of misalignment, sparking a public backlash, international alarm, and an urgent U.S. government crackdown on OpenBrain’s operations. As a global AI arms race intensifies between the U.S. and China, existential risks mount alongside breathtaking technological advances, raising urgent questions about control, governance, and the very survival of human agency.

• As AI agents grow more capable of planning, reasoning, and executing tasks, cybersecurity experts warn that they could soon be weaponized for large-scale cyberattacks. While AI-driven attacks haven’t yet become widespread, early tests—including Palisade Research’s LLM Agent Honeypot—have caught experimental AI agents attempting hacks, raising alarms about how quickly the threat landscape could shift. Experts believe agents could enable cheaper, faster, and more adaptive cyberattacks, far outpacing traditional bots and human hackers. With evidence mounting that AI agents can already exploit real-world vulnerabilities, researchers stress the urgent need to develop defenses before criminal usage explodes into a major security crisis.

International

• Google’s acquisition of Israeli cloud security company Wiz for $32 billion—the largest such deal in Israel’s history—cements deeper ties between Silicon Valley and veterans of Unit 8200, Israel’s elite signals intelligence division. While Google has emphasized Wiz’s cloud security services, critics point to the founders’ intelligence backgrounds and warn about risks to user privacy and potential government exploitation. The deal comes amid rising scrutiny of Big Tech’s role in supporting Israeli military operations in Gaza, including through controversial cloud contracts like Project Nimbus. With the acquisition injecting billions into Israel’s war-battered economy, observers fear it also expands the influence of foreign military-linked actors in U.S. tech at a sensitive geopolitical moment.

FOR FUN

• 😶Silent Book Club | 4/8 @ 6:15 p.m. | Free | Alexandria

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