He'll serve under the brilliant Megan Smith, the CTO.
Felten, one of Princeton's preeminent computer scientists, previously served as the first CTO of the FTC. He's a jailbreaking, DRM-defeating legend, the scourge of insecure voting machines, a key figure in the Sony rootkit scandal, a strong voice against crypto backdoors, and the target of an infamous RIAA lawsuit. His research interests are many and varied.
This is Good News.
We are excited to announce that Dr. Ed Felten is joining the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer. Ed joins a growing number of techies at the White House working to further President Obama's vision to ensure policy decisions are informed by our best understanding of state-of-the-art technology and innovation, to quickly and efficiently deliver great services for the American people, and to broaden and deepen the American people's engagement with their government.
Ed's expertise in the intersection of public affairs and computer science has led him to experiences in government, academia, and advising. Currently, he serves as the Robert E. Kahn Professor of Computer Science and Public Affairs at Princeton University, where he is also the founding Director of the Center for Information Technology Policy. Before rejoining the Princeton faculty, Ed served as the first Chief Technologist at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and worked with the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division.
The White House Names Dr. Ed Felten as Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer [Alexander Macgillivray and Megan Smith/OTSP]
(Image: Ed Felten, Joi Ito, CC-BY)
