The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) today announced to appoint a full-time privacy and civil liberties officer, who the top spy agency said would ensure that all its missions, programmes, activities, policies and technologies protect privacy and civil liberties.
While this post has existed before, CIA Director John Brennan announced Benjamin T Huebner, roped in from the Department of Justice, would be the spy agency's first full- time privacy and civil liberties officer (PCLO).
Huebner is scheduled to join his new duties on May 16.
In addition to fulfilling requirements established by statute, regulation and policy, Huebner will be CIA's primary liaison with the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) and will serve as the designated CIA Senior Agency Official for Privacy as well as the Information Sharing Environment Privacy Official, a media release said.
He will also act as the lead CIA officer for implementing the Principles of Intelligence Transparency for the Intelligence Community issued in 2015 by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, it said.
In Department of Justice, he served as the Counsel for Intelligence to the Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division, advising Department leaders on intelligence-related matters, including intelligence operations, litigation and oversight.
"In particular, he has extensive experience developing and managing oversight programmes related to intelligence collection conducted under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act," the CIA said.
"With Huebner's help, CIA will continue to achieve its critical national security objectives while protecting the privacy and civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and federal law," the CIA said in its statement.
