By John D. McKinnon
WASHINGTON - }The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a high-profile hearing on the privacy practices of big tech companies later this month, signaling intensifying government interest in a thorny issue for the industry, according to people familiar with the matter.
The hearing, set for Sept. 26, reflects growing concerns among lawmakers over user privacy on the internet, especially in light of recent revelations of questionable practices at several big tech firms, including Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google unit.