Jon Leibowitz
A sharp legal mind who steered the Federal Trade Commission through a digital revolution, aggressively policing privacy and antitrust violations.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American lawyer·Birthday: June 17·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jon Leibowitz brought a prosecutor's zeal to the often-technocratic realm of consumer protection. Appointed as a commissioner in 2004 and ascending to Chairman in 2009, he led the FTC during a period of profound change, as the internet economy matured and data became a new currency. His tenure was marked by a clear focus on holding powerful companies accountable. Leibowitz championed aggressive enforcement of antitrust laws and became a vocal advocate for consumer privacy, pushing for a 'Do Not Track' mechanism for online browsing. Under his leadership, the FTC levied record fines against tech giants for privacy missteps and blocked major corporate mergers he deemed harmful to competition. He approached the role not as a detached regulator, but as a public advocate determined to modernize the agency's tools for a new age of commerce.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jon was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Jon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 53rd Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission from 2009 to 2013, appointed by President Barack Obama.
- Oversaw the FTC's implementation of a national 'Do Not Call' registry to combat telemarketing abuses.
- Led the commission to secure a historic $22.5 million civil penalty against Google for privacy violation, a record at the time.
- Advocated strongly for a consumer 'Do Not Track' option for online browsing to enhance digital privacy.
- Played a key role in antitrust enforcement, including the challenge to block the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile in 2011.
Did You Know?
Before the FTC, he served as Chief Counsel to the U.S. Senate Antitrust Subcommittee.
He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and the New York University School of Law.
After government service, he returned to private law practice, focusing on antitrust and consumer protection.
“A marketplace built on deception is a theft of time and trust.”
