On the Rumored Cyber Security Czar Candidate: Let’s Look Before We Leap
posted by Danielle Citron
According to Time magazine, former Congressman Tom Davis has emerged as a front runner for the newly created Cyber Security Czar position. The Time piece cited Davis’s authorship of the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002, his work as chair of the Subcommittee on Technology and Procurement policy, his connections to the IT community through his former district, and his current work at Deloitte as some of the reasons supporting his candidacy.
President Obama has stressed that privacy is key to the government’s cyber security efforts. Davis’s record on privacy issues, however, is troubling. As Wired’s Ryan Singel reports, Davis has been on the “wrong side of privacy issues.” Davis supported the controversial REAL ID Act.” He attempted to undo a measure that ultimately put a chief privacy officer in every major government agency. He embraced the Bush Administration’s expansion of government wiretapping powers. Aside from his spotty record on privacy, Davis’s congressional record suggests that he does not share the President’s regard for government transparency. He helped pass the Critical Infrastructure Act, which created an exemption to FOIA for information provided DHS by private companies concerning its oversight of critical infrastructure. Hopefully, the President will consider these issues before making his final decision.
June 23, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Posted in: Privacy, Privacy (Gossip & Shaming), Privacy (Law Enforcement), Privacy (National Security), Technology, Uncategorized
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Weekly Web Watch 06/22/09 – 06/28/09 « EXECUTIVE WATCH - June 28, 2009 at 3:51 pm
[...] post at the White House. Early reaction seems to lean negative. Danielle Citron puts forth a list of controversial positions that Davis has taken to restrict privacy and links to Ryan Singel, who has [...]
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