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NSA Posts Opening For "Civil Liberties & Privacy Officer"
cold fjord writes "The Hill reports, 'The National Security Agency has posted a job opening for a privacy and civil liberties officer. The position was first mentioned last month, when President Obama outlined his plans to bring more transparency to the NSA surveillance programs. A White House press release said the agency was "taking steps to put in place a full time Civil Liberties and Privacy Officer."' — From the NSA job posting: 'The NSA Civil Liberties & Privacy Officer (CLPO) is conceived as a completely new role, combining the separate responsibilities of NSA's existing Civil Liberties and Privacy (CL/P) protection programs under a single official. The CLPO will serve as the primary advisor to the Director of NSA for ensuring that privacy is protected and civil liberties are maintained by all of NSA's missions, programs, policies and technologies. This new position is focused on the future, designed to directly enhance decision making and to ensure that CL/P protections continue to be baked into NSA's future operations, technologies, tradecraft, and policies. The NSA CLPO will consult regularly with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence CLPO, privacy and civil liberties officials from the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice, as well as other U.S. government, private sector, public advocacy groups and foreign partners. '"
Is it just me, or does anybody have the feeling that this job is probably the opposite of the title?
This new position is focused on the future, designed to directly enhance decision making
Does "shut down this agency permanently and don't replace it with anything similar" count as an enhancement?
If we want to fight terrorism we could always stop installing dictators and manipulating the affairs of other nations.
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
So, we're hiring a guy to report directly to the head of the NSA... so that he can report "hey, you're trampling everyone's privacy"... to which the director of the NSA can reply "I know." All of which we still will never know about.
All you do is just rubber stamp all the plans which cross your desk.
Well, maybe you have to sort it into two piles. "Stuff we admit to" and "Stuff that will piss off the whole civilized world" Still, this would be very easy. It's the only job which will do less than a police departments internal investigation board!
I am the penguin that codes in the night.
Most unpatriotic act ever. So, yes, all Govt names are EXACTLY opposite of what they say.
Going by that, this guy is going to be tasked with infringing MORE, without even trying to hide it.
didn't anybody read Snowden's leaks?
Verbum caro factum est
This official needs to have the ability to publicly whistle blow on anything he sees. If all he can do is report back to the NSA on his findings, no one will hear of it and nothing will change.
The NSA simply needs his Timothy McVeigh. Fuck 'em.
Somehow I feel this position will be as effective as a Racial Sensitivity and Ethics Officer aboard a Slave Ship.
I wonder who will get fired next time widespread law breaking at the agency is made public. Hint: probably not the director who authorised it.
Just shut these losers down and replace them with real military instead of idiot toy soldiers playing in Star Trek sets.
...explaining to the public why they can't have these things anymore.
After all, the main objective will be to serve as a scapegoat.
To serve and protect...
Has anyone else gotten the feeling that "The President" and "Congress" are no longer anything other than just a show? That there is some kind of shadow government which is actually controlling things like the NSA. It may be time for a true violent revolution.
Government-owned crime syndicate needs clownish do-nothing to stand around like a deer in headlights while taking the blame for coworkers' malfeasance by virtue of a blatantly dishonest job title. Flexible hours, competitive pay and benefits.
If this goes the way things like this seem to go they will get Dick Cheney to fill it.
The ability to instantly and unilaterally declassify anything, without any fear of retribution.
Fat chance.
He's probably looking for a good job right now and we saw how skilled he was the first time he was a Ghost.
I nominate an adorable puppy. They will protect our civil liberties as much as whomever they decide to hire will be able to, will be more adorable than any adult human, and will work for costs significantly below minimum wage. They would probably even be good for morale within the NSA.
This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Wanted: Someone to take the public's wrath and the shocked outrage of Congress the next time there is a scandal.
By accepting this position, you acknowledge and accept that you will be terminated during or immediately after the required investigation during the next scandal.
Benefits include full medical, dental, vision, 5 weeks a year vacation.
Seriously, who would want to work there anymore?
Whoever they hire is going to have camera's and microphones up their butt, in their home, with everything they ever do or have done on the internet recorded and scrutinized for the rest of their lives. wait...
Make sure we are able to hide any infringements on civil liberties.
It's odd that they're not even trying to convince foreigners that they should continue using US based web services. That's, after all, where the money really comes from.
This reminds of how the Australian mining companies stopped growing environmental awareness from impacting their business. They lobbied the Australian Government, and the environmentalists moved from being government employees to mining company employees. I've heard mining company environmentalists say things like "We're not as bad as other mining companies when it comes to pollution" and "Some mining companies don't let their environmentalists leave their office. We have much more freedom" without a trace of irony.
This position will have the same effect. Whoever takes it will find themselves saying "We're better than Google when it comes to people's privacy" without even a trace of Fe to be found.
Work like no one is watching. Dance like you've never been hurt. Make love like you don't need the money.
I'd shoot them a resume but I hear Wally from Dilbert already got the job.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Snowden should send his CV for starters.
I can think of two people who would be really, really good at this, but I think they might have some visa problems getting over for the interview.
We need... a guy... yep, a guy to make sure that the millions of dollars we spend on illegally spying on the American public don't get spent illegally spying on the American public. That will fix it! Now look away...
I can't be the only one to think that. :)
I really would not want. You are basically the NSA's scape goat. Any privacy related issues would have to go through you and you would become the NSA's whipping boy. Even if you agree with what the NSA is doing, that job has gotta be frightening.
I have 42 years experience as a human rights adviser for the United States government.
1976-1978 Special adviser in Iran to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
1980-1982 Special adviser in Indonesia for Suhartro on civil liberties.
1982-1989 U.S. embassy Chile. Served as adviser to Augusto Pinochet on civil liberties.
This position has no teeth and will exist as a figure head when people and the "shocked" congressional delegates bring up questions of what the NSA is doing.
That way when congress starts up their faux hearings regarding NSA breaches of law and privacy you have put this figure head up there right next to the Director and when a question of Civil Liberties, violations of privacy etc. come up he can just deflect and say "Let me turn you over to our Chief Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer who will address your questions."
The NSA needs to go and the CIA needs to absorb the foreign intelligence functions that the NSA is supposedly mandated to perform. What still stinks to high shit is the recent budget that was passed in the house curiously doesn't de-fund the NSA so consider all the members of congress as violators of your rights and in violation of protecting and defending the Constitution. Considering there's an election in 13 months for Congress and 1/3 of the Senate seats, it's time to start sending a message to these arrogant fucktards that our Privacy and Civil Liberties should not become bargaining chips for passing legislative acts, they're rights we all need to fight for. Send money to the EFF and the ACLU and start getting your friends, family and colleagues informed about the issues we all face and frankly, vote all of these morons out of office because the constant money machine in politics and congressional re-election rates (over 70%) is killing your rights.
Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
The Ministry of Privacy
The only remotely plausible candidate. Um... hopefully he can work remotely.
Look what happened to the last guy who decided to fulfill the requirements of this job - he sought asylum in Russia!
It's the classic 'approval by proxy' that worked in the UK.
In the UK they appointed a data registrar who job title is 'data protection', and whose legal basis is the EU privacy act. Yet he's not there to *enforce* the privacy act, he's there to approve the *exemptions* to the act. So he spends his time approving all manner of privacy invading uses for UK citizens data by giving his approval to their use (on your behalf, not that you're ever asked or the details told to you even).
It was a slimey lawyer trick courtesy of Tony Blair (a lawyer).
Here, he's appointing someone to represent US Citizens and 'approve' the misuse of their private data, obtained in violation of their rights. As if he can give proxy approval for the surveillance.
It's a slimey lawyer trick, courtesy of Obama (a lawyer).
I really thought Obama would be different, yet he gets into power and it's clear he's just the smiley face on the military machine, same as the last guy.
I really would not want. You are basically the NSA's scape goat. Any privacy related issues would have to go through you and you would become the NSA's whipping boy. Even if you agree with what the NSA is doing, that job has gotta be frightening.
Look it - this is a GOVERNMENT position here - not corporate.
IN other words, you'd be paid 6 figures or so (can't tell exactly what the job requires or pays because the link is requiring a PeopleSoft login! WTF! Subby!) and it'd be CUSHY as all hell! Sure, there may be on occasion dealing with Congress' grandstanding horseshit, but you'd be crying all the way to the bank.
AND when - not if - when you have to resign, then you get a nice 7 figure lobbying job, use of private corporate jets, and all the loose women and drugs you could ever ask for.
Government work at this level is a guaranteed path to being rich, getting power, and settin' up the rest of your family.
And we'll want a spy in your organization to make sure you don't spy on us.
Please do not read this sig. Thank you.
His job description entails standing around telling the NSA to stop doing all of the things the NSA does....
Let me be the first to nominate Bruce Schneier for the position.
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/519336/bruce-schneier-nsa-spying-is-making-us-less-safe/
http://www.geoffreylandis.com
The NSA has lost all credibility with the American people. Nothing can repair that after the string of lies and revelations. That means if there are any upstanding people still working there they will become increasingly demoralized and leave, to be replaced by more sociopaths with despotic leanings. the NSA will become more of the threat to our freedom that it has already proven itself to be. when these revelations first came to light, if the president had immediately cleaned house over there then it might have stood a chance of recovering public esteem. but the president did the exact opposite and that chance has vanished.
So the question is, what now? I suggest civil disobedience on every level. put congress, the president, the NSA, and the ultra-wealthy who pull all their strings under the same panopticon they have put on us. let them know what it is to have every move known and exposed. shun them at every level. flag them on the citizen's equivalent of the "no fly" list. make it clear that we know them for the scum they are. peer pressure is a powerful motivator, even for sociopaths, and it may be enough to avert the drastic measures that lie beyond. but if they aren't, drastic measures must remain on the table or our children, grand children, and great grand children will be slaves who curse our cowardice.
primary job functions: bullshit shoveling, towing the company line, smiling and looking pretty.
primary qualifications: proficient liar, ability to verbosely respond to any query without really 'saying' anything.
Good background would include:
- Environmental officer for a West Virginia mountaintop-removal coal company
- Human rights officer for the Syrian Army
- Risk Management officer for Lehman Brothers
- PhD from the Sorbonne in empty gestures
We got too much heat and need a scapegoat. If you wish you had an important sounding job and don't mind getting served up to a hoard of starving dogs, please apply. Thanks from your law breaking agency, the NSA.
Possibly slightly offtopic; but is there any legal avenue that could be persued, towards the eventual goal of having the NSA abolished?
TFA doesn't mention what kind of sock this new puppet is to be made of.
Isn't it obvious? The one guy who would give up everything to enlighten others.
He might work on line from Russia.
The posting itself is slashdotted right now, but I'd bet dollars to donuts the requirements include a long list of marketing skills, since that is undoubtedly what this job really is.
We here at the NSA would like to thank slashdot for its interest in this position.
Due to overwhelming traffic, our website may become inaccessible from time to time. should you find yourself unable to connect or submit your CV, please try these steps:
1. calmly speak your resume into any cellphone, preceded by one or more of the words: "Terror, Obama, Occupy, Syria"
2. Purchase one Quran, Disposable mobile phone, and one tank of propane to speak with a member of our team about the job opening.
3. open a copy of your CV in any Microsoft Operating System.
regards,
oscar nascar pickle marmalade1234
NSA Human Resources
Good people go to bed earlier.
Col. Flagg of MASH, or his life-a-like
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
Everyone go home... false alarm.
I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
Four figure? Definitely. Maybe just about into five figures. Not even the president of the USA gets a high five-figure salary.
At high levels, though (or even lower down, depending on how well you'll sell yourself to lobbies), the payoff isn't anything to do with government payouts AT ALL. It's a job to a position in commercial business on six or even seven figure (if you count in benefits) salaries for a job well done for the companies who are impeded by the nominal activities of the department you worked for.
Government payout is extremely shit.
But if you get to Washington, DC, the job gets you CONNECTIONS. And those connections will be getting you a PRIVATE INDUSTRY job that will pay a pension many times the size of your salary (even including any benefits) of the government job you had.
Hardy-Har-Har. Much like advertising for a "abstinence officer" in a Nevada Brothel.
It's called "the judiciary". Maybe the NSA should try listening to it?
if this was of Russia, many "In Soviet Russia..." memes would have been posted. Sorry, I cannot think of any for this country (and I sure heck can't figure how to login. I login but going to articles, it has me 'logged out').
The NSA violated your Civil LIberties, you say? The CLPO was not doing his job.
The terrorist blew up another buiding, you say? The CLPO will not let us do our job.
This post is like being in charge of IT Security.
Taking Liberties with Privacy Officer
Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
Karma: Chameleon
We'll get to actually meet cold fjord during the interview. Though he'll probably conduct it from behind a one way mirror.
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
1. Who gets to choose the appointee from the applications received?
If anyone inside the current system has a say (and that includes Congress and the President), the selected person will have no credibility.
2. Are background checks and/or security clearances required?
If so, then all credible candidates are probably excluded.
Prove anything by multiplying Huge Number times Tiny Number
And in late breaking news, the New York Mafia is advertizing for a Law Enforcement officer.
[Oops, they've probably got lots already ...]
A pretty old idea, in years gone by known as a Soothsayer.
A post like that is pure bullshit unless he's got the highest level of clearance and is informed of every operation the NSAis conducting. Which I find highly unlikely. I'll chalk this up to fall-guy, lip-service, or window-dressing until they announce his clearance level.
... some US fellows are about to learn Separation of Powers(and Duties) all over again...
Never show up.
Expanding the bureaucracy will not increase transparency. Actually it will do just the opposite and add another layer of abstraction.
You need to have a civil liberties officer to keep an eagle eye out to make sure there aren't any civil liberties escaping into the wild.
To oversee that what could be hundreds of millions of potential breaches in civil liberties and privacy perhaps annually, and in that only one position is available is a little impossible to believe will do anything to safeguard American civil liberties and privacy.
Being the guy who has to say no sucks. Worse if you have none of the authority and all of the responsibility when things go to poo.
I find it strange how everyone exerts hate toward the government, and yet nobody has a problem feeding their personal information to companies such as Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Verizon, Comcast, LinkedIn, gas stations, surveys, etc. Companies that take your information, put it into the cloud, perform analytics on it, and actually make a profit from it and sell it to partners. Funny how we'll hand over our information when it comes down to convenience or a service being provided to us, but when its another entity that actually has our best interests in mind (in most cases) and does not stand to make a profit from our information and actually doesn't give a damn the new shirt your grandmother bought suddenly we're all up in arms. Come back to reality people, I can buy your information for $10 online and its easier and more detailed than the NSA has on American citizens.
Filed this one under "Jobs I am actually qualified for but would never try to do in a million years because I like my sanity."
We might need to coin a new term for this. Just as the TSA, et al, practice "security theatre", the NSA will be practicing "privacy theatre". That is to say, seemingly taking steps to protect privacy and civil liberties, but really just doing business as usual.
Proverbs 21:19
The Gestapo office of "Civic Concern and Redress" is looking for an administrative leader.
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
Let me guess, the following "Job Responsibilities" were noted?
-Must be willing to look the other way when witnessing illegal/immoral/unconstitutional activities
-Must be willing to sign documents blindfolded
-May not have any previous employment and/or history in privacy/civil liberties related fields.
-Will be Require to submit to several polygraph test a year and attest to a complete lack of any desire to notify public of illegal/immoral/unconstitutional activities
Seriously though no one in their right minds can believe that this position will have ANY real power. Even if they are given the ability to review documents, questions personnel & conduct inspections I highly doubt that any report that is critical of the NSA will ever see the light of day.
I don't know what the point is -- they'll still have their Ultra-Mega room of highest top secret, where they will listen in on what they want anyway. And that's the room where a rogue might listen in on political opponents.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
I'm guessing the uncle or sister of some senator will get this job, and never be allowed to do a days work except to sit for pictures in their entire tenure.
I used to work in military intelligence in the SIGINT area and from how I remember the way things worked the whole idea of these type of positions is ludicrous. The reason for much of the lack of oversight of the NSA in the first place is the extremely high degree of compartmentalization upon which it prides itself. The left thumb and its 4 neighbors have little clue how they are all actually working together as a hand and the rest of the arm couldn't care less what each of the fingers are doing, as long as the hand and elbow behave as expected and not member of that entire arm has a clue what any component of the other arm is up to let alone the rest of the body, but in the end the body does its thing, whether that's writing a novel of fondling a child. The NSA and similar spook organizations work in a very similar manner. There is no oversight because their very structure prohibits it. So any feelly-good jobs that they setup such as the ones mentioned in the article are a load of shit. Whoever gets the job will not have access to enough of the big picture to make any kind of assessment as to what is really going on.
PR Manager
Hire Ted Nugent or someone of that ilk.
Give the NSA a really good dose of where this whole scenerio should be going.
This whole thing is F.U.B.A.R. Someone seriously should be going to prison over this, preferably starting with the politicians who said this was "OK" and the Judge that agreed.
Just sayin'
Ah ... no. That would be my answer until I was fired everytime they wanted to spy on American citizens without a valid (non-FISA) court order.
1 or 2 days? Would I last that long?
This is nothing more the misdirection do not be fooled. They will no have no power and can do NOTHING to stop this. Not a dang thing.
NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER GIVE UP! "No limitations, no boundaries, there is no reason for them."
I would have thought they've already interviewed all the possible applicants. Let them just send an offer to whichever of us is the best candidate.
They added the "no experience necessary" clause so internal candidates can apply.