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. '"

Comments

Newspeak?

[jonr]

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

Re: Newspeak?

[Anonymous Coward]

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."

Re: Newspeak?

[Cornwallis]

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

Re: Newspeak?

[jonr]

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

Re:Newspeak?

[AHuxley]

Interesting how US rights are now just "maintained".

Re:Newspeak?

[GameboyRMH]

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.

Re:Newspeak?

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Re: Newspeak?

[phrostie]

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

Re:Newspeak?

[tompaulco]

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.

Re:Newspeak?

[TubeSteak]

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"

Hmm

[causality]

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.

PATRIOT act

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Need to allow this official to be transparent

[stewsters]

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.

Re:Need to allow this official to be transparent

[omnichad]

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

Racial Sensitivity and Ethics Officer

[l0ungeb0y]

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

Wanted: Feckless Patsy

[bistromath007]

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.

Resume

[puddingebola]

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.

Proxy approval

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

THE GESTAPO WANTS AN OFFICER

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

The Gestapo office of "Civic Concern and Redress" is looking for an administrative leader.