The FTC has recently named Lorrie Cranor as their new Chief Technologist. She will assume the new role in January of 2016, moving from her role as the director of the Carnegie Mellon CyLab Usable Privacy and Security Laboratory. Prior to that she was a senior technical staff member with AT&T labs.
Cranor is well known in the industry for her work concerning Internet Privacy and security, which makes her a great fit for the position at the FTC.
The FTC is clearly looking to fill this role with someone who will be prepared to act against the many privacy threats that consumers are facing and will be facing in the coming years. Specifically, the FTC believes that the ‘Internet of things’ is going to open up huge privacy concerns in the near future, and having Cranor on the team will help them to have a strong response.
She will be replacing Ashkan Soltani, who has been out of the position since back in 2014. He left in October and his new plans were not released then or now.
FTC Chairwoman, Edith Ramirez, said in a statement, “Technology is playing an ever more important role in consumers’ lives, whether through mobile devices, personal fitness trackers, or the increasing array of Internet-connected devices we find in homes and elsewhere.”
While it is still early, most people seem to be quite supportive of Cranor filling this role thanks to her extensive experience in the industry.
Congratulations to Lorrie Cranor. We look forward to seeing your impact on the FTC in the coming years.
