Nicole Wong the US’s first chief privacy officer thinks the gov't should work hand-in-hand with internet companies
The first week on the job for Nicole Wong, dubbed by many as the US’s first chief privacy officer, has been fairly, well, private. The White House has named Wong, 44, a former top lawyer for Google and Twitter, as the new deputy US chief technology officer in the Office of Science and Technology Policy. But the appointment came with little fanfare or official communication about her role, even though Wong could have influence far and wide—not only on internet issues, but on foreign policy, trade and human rights. Here’s why.
Wong is serving as a top deputy to the White House’s chief technology officer, Todd Park, according to OSTP spokesman Rick Weiss. Beyond that, Weiss wouldn’t elaborate on what Wong will be doing. He did say, however, that characterizing her simply as a “chief privacy officer” doesn’t fully describe her role.
In the very least, Wong’s appointment appears to be part of an effort by the Obama administration to reassure citizens that their privacy rights will be protected. The White House has been under the gun about the government’s role in data mining and surveillance, thanks in part to controversy over its PRISM spying program. “The fact that this position exists reflects the importance we attach to the issue,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters last week. “I would point you to everything I just said about the president’s views on the balance that we need to strike between our national security interests and protecting the American people, as well as protecting our values and our privacy.”
Wong has a stellar reputation for aggressively protecting individual privacy rights, earned during many battles she fought against the Bush and Obama administrations during her eight years as Google’s vice president and deputy general counsel. She joined Twitter as its legal director just seven months ago. Friends and former colleagues say she has mastered the complexities of cutting-edge internet and social media technologies and how the law should or shouldn’t apply to them.
But beyond individual privacy, Wong’s real passion and expertise is in using companies like Google, Twitter and YouTube (which Google bought in 2006) to promote freedom and democracy and fight repression and censorship. At Google in particular, she fought against more than 25 countries, including China, Turkey and Pakistan, that tried to limit the flow of information and videos as a way to stifle dissent and free speech.
In 2010, Wong appeared before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee at a hearing titled, “The Google Predicament: Transforming U.S. Cyberspace Policy To Advance Democracy, Security and Trade.” In lengthy testimony, she laid out a four-point plan for how the US government should work hand-in-hand with internet companies.
Here’s her verbatim testimony:
First and foremost, the U.S. government should promote internet openness as a major plank for our foreign policy. The free flow of information is an important part of diplomacy, foreign assistance, and engagement on human rights.
Second, internet censorship should be part of our trade agenda because it has serious economic implications. It tilts the playing field towards domestic companies and reduces consumer choice. It affects not only U.S. and global Internet companies, but also hurts businesses in every sector that use the internet to reach customers.
Third, our government and governments around the world should be transparent about demands to censor or request information about users or when a network comes under attack. This is a critical part of the democratic process, allowing citizens to hold their governments accountable.
Finally, Google supports the commitment of Congress and the administration to provide funds to make sure people who need to access the internet safely have the right training and tools.
http://qz.com/98582/the-most-important-person-entering-us-government-youve-never-heard-of/