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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. '"

27 of 177 comments (clear)

  1. Newspeak? by jonr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Is it just me, or does anybody have the feeling that this job is probably the opposite of the title?

    1. Re: Newspeak? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I was thinking that rather than being the opposite that it would be a cube in the basement of a file room and given zero assistance from anyone, just "let us know if you see anything sketchy while you do whatever it is you feel like doing."

    2. Re: Newspeak? by Cornwallis · · Score: 5, Funny

      And I've got the red stapler to go with the position.

    3. Re: Newspeak? by jonr · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't forget the sign on the door: "Beware of the Leopard".

    4. Re:Newspeak? by AHuxley · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Interesting how US rights are now just "maintained".

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    5. Re:Newspeak? by GameboyRMH · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Either that or it's a job where you're given nothing to do until the next big leak comes out, then you become the sacrificial lamb and they hire a replacement, rinse and repeat.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    6. Re:Newspeak? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      The NSA doesn't have such a position. You are thinking of the TSA. A sexual harassment officer's job there is to sexually harass.

    7. Re: Newspeak? by phrostie · · Score: 5, Insightful

      wasn't that what the "judges" job was?

    8. Re:Newspeak? by tompaulco · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well, to be fair, titles can be misleading. I'd imagine the NSA has a sexual harassment officer too, but it isn't like that person's job is to defend sexual harassment.

      Yeah, I can't tell you how disappointed I was with my company's sexual harassment training. I mean, I didn't learn any new techniques AT ALL.

      --
      If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
    9. Re:Newspeak? by TubeSteak · · Score: 5, Informative

      The fox is hiring a chicken to advise and consult on the security of the hen house.

      Specific Duties:
      a. Provide advice and guidance to the Director ...
      b. As the senior architect for CL/P, ensure that protections are addressed ...
      c. Represent the Agency on CL/P matters and serve as a liaison ...
      d. Responsible for broadly and, to the greatest extent possible, proactively explaining ...
      e. Manage CL/P policy, and advise ...
      f. Ensure adequate procedures are in place ...
      g. [rehash of point c]
      h. Provide CL/P reviews and assessments ...
      i. Provide testimony at Congressional hearings and special briefings ...
      j. Ensure that NSA leadership is informed of significant developments or changes in CL/P related ...
      k. Build partnerships with the public and private sectors ...

      Or in other words, someone with no actual authority.
      It has to be understood that this privacy officer is under the DNI.
      You know, the DNI, the individual responsible for all these privacy violations in the first place.
      There's no point in creating policy if the Director is only going to look at it as "advice and guidance"

      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
  2. Hmm by causality · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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
  3. PATRIOT act by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  4. Need to allow this official to be transparent by stewsters · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:Need to allow this official to be transparent by omnichad · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The NSA will tell him what whistle to blow. He wouldn't be a very good distraction if he didn't "find" things.

  5. Racial Sensitivity and Ethics Officer by l0ungeb0y · · Score: 5, Funny

    Somehow I feel this position will be as effective as a Racial Sensitivity and Ethics Officer aboard a Slave Ship.

  6. Wanted: Feckless Patsy by bistromath007 · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.

  7. Only power for that official that matters by IamTheRealMike · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The ability to instantly and unilaterally declassify anything, without any fear of retribution.

    Fat chance.

  8. Ooh! by Greyfox · · Score: 3, Funny

    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?

  9. Resume by puddingebola · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.

  10. No teeth by Virtucon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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"
  11. Proxy approval by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:Proxy approval by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Told you so. Vote third party or stay home.

      Only 38% of Americans voted in the last election. Only 20% of Americans voted for the current President.

      Perhaps Duverger's Law is at least felt, if not completely understood.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  12. Translation: Spy on citizens, not us. by gestalt_n_pepper · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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.
  13. Re:Who would want to work there anymore? by AHuxley · · Score: 3, Interesting

    People who know its a pathway to becoming a contractor.
    People who know its the path to getting a pension.
    People who know its the path to clearances that ensures future funding.
    People who know its the path to clearances that ensures future tech and math job security.
    People who know they want to work with telco, crypto and math with a real budget and as a core mission.
    Second and third generations with clearances.
    The ideological testing for the next gen admins will be expensive. Internal file encryption and more compartmentalisation will have to be contracted in too.
    Less people, no trust, more work, been recorded, been scrutinized, ever more domestic data to sort, languages via new contractors..
    Spy agencies who put their staff under that kind of pressure always know the results long term.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  14. Here's a question... by petrus4 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Possibly slightly offtopic; but is there any legal avenue that could be persued, towards the eventual goal of having the NSA abolished?

  15. website for application by nimbius · · Score: 3, Funny

    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.
  16. THE GESTAPO WANTS AN OFFICER by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 4

    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..."