The MPAA has appointed a new anti-piracy axeman — the former head of the New Orleans branch of the TSA — an ex-cop from a branch of law enforcement known for abusing its power, and from a city where the police department has been rocked by scandal after scandal. The perfect guy for the job!
Robinson comes to the MPAA from the Transportation Security Administration, where he served as Federal Security Director at New Orleans International Airport. He has had a noteworthy career in law enforcement that spans four decades, having first started as a state trooper in Michigan and working his way up to become the state's first Homeland Security Director. During that time, Robinson served eleven years as Director of the Michigan Department of State Police, where he was responsible for all state-level public safety and emergency services. Robinson's international reputation in law enforcement has earned him the respect of colleagues throughout the country, who in 2000 chose him to serve a one-year term as President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police- which represents 18,000 police executives in over 100 countries.
(Thanks, Xeni!)
Update: Bill sez, "Michael Robinson is no friend of privacy. From a statement he made in 1999, while he was Director of the Michigan State Police:
"The IACP's position on the encryption issue is clear. We strongly believe that the unchecked proliferation of robust, non-recoverable encryption technology poses an enormous danger to effective law enforcement, public safety and to society as a whole. Therefore, the IACP believes that any encryption legislation that is enacted must protect the ability of law enforcement agencies to perform court authorized electronic surveillance and the search and seizure of criminally related information stored in computers."
