New privacy hires at WhatsApp: Nate Cardozo (EFF), Robyn Greene (Open Technology Institute)
This bodes well for WhatsApp users.
Attorney Nate Cardozo of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (for the last 6 years!) and Robyn Greene from the Open Technology Institute are among new privacy team hires at social networking company WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook. Cardozo announced the move on a Facebook post, Greene announced her news in a tweet.
Cardozo announced the move in a post to Facebook on Tuesday:
Personal news! After six and a half years at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), I'll be leaving at the end of next week. I'm incredibly sad to be leaving such a great organization and I'll miss my colleagues with all my heart.
Where to? Starting 2/19, I'll be the Privacy Policy Manager for WhatsApp!! I could NOT be more excited.
If you know me at all, you'll know this isn't a move I'd make lightly. After the privacy beating Facebook's taken over the last year, I was skeptical too. But the privacy team I'll be joining knows me well, and knows exactly how I feel about tech policy, privacy, and encrypted messaging. And that's who they want at managing privacy at WhatsApp. I couldn't pass up that opportunity.
It's going to be an enormous challenge professionally but I'm ready for it.
Taylor Hatmaker at TechCrunch:
In an effort to bolster its public credibility in the wake of a very rough year, Facebook is bringing a fierce former critic into the fold.
Next month, longtime Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) counsel Nate Cardozo will join WhatsApp, Facebook's encrypted chat app. Cardozo most recently held the position of Senior Information Security Counsel with the EFF where he worked closely with the organization on cybersecurity policy. As his bio there reads, Cardozo is "an expert in technology law and civil liberties" and already works with private companies on privacy policies that protect user rights.
Robyn Greene will focus on law enforcement access and data protection in her new role with Facebook.
Personally i'll sleep 10% better at night knowing the guy who said "[Facebook's] business model depends on our collective confusion and apathy about privacy" is working on the inside. Though of course that's the whole point.
- Taylor Hatmaker (@tayhatmaker) January 29, 2019
Some personal news: After 4.5 amazing years at @OTI working on privacy and security issues, I'm moving on.
I'm thrilled to share that next week I'll join @facebook's incredible team as a privacy policy manager on law enforcement access and data protection issues! 1/3
- Robyn Greene (@Robyn_Greene) January 29, 2019
.@OTI will need a new policy counsel to handle my portfolio. The OTI family is amazing, the work is meaningful, and the professional growth opportunities are abundant. If you think you might be interested, feel free to reach out with questions or for advice about this job. 3/3
- Robyn Greene (@Robyn_Greene) January 29, 2019
Congrats, Nate. With big decisions coming up due to the Great WA/IG/Messenger Merger of 2019, I'm glad to see a privacy advocate get into a position of influence.
I'm also looking forward to turning the "lobbying for privacy features I want" tables on an EFF lawyer. https://t.co/QluaueDgBE
- Alex Stamos (@alexstamos) January 29, 2019
Good news: FB has hired Robyn Greene, Nate Cardozo & Nathan White-signal that FB might be taking critics seriously https://t.co/b9t1XRQPgB
- Chris Hoofnagle (@hoofnagle) January 29, 2019
BTW, Nate has always demonstrated excellent character, concerned with principle rather than partisanship, willing to understand those who disagree with him. I think he'll be an excellent fit at Facebook. https://t.co/ijP6OxHZWD
- RobaE^3a- Graham (@ErrataRob) January 29, 2019
Facebook appears to be building a serious privacy policy team. EFF's Nate Cardozo and OTI's @Robyn_Greene both announced today that they're joining it. https://t.co/yFkh4oS4sX https://t.co/hFxmPFBeWb
- Eric Geller (@ericgeller) January 29, 2019
People matter and Nate joining @facebook to manage @WhatsApp privacy is a very good development, assuming the leadership and developers listen.
Already a good sign that they selected him. https://t.co/OfslFwimUF
- Ryan Calo (@rcalo) January 29, 2019
It is heartening to see @Facebook hiring tough, smart critics who have specific expertise on difficult tech issues. The question is if they'll have the opportunity to make policy, & whether @SherylSandberg, @finkd & the board will hear what they're saying & actually implement it. https://t.co/X2qV05Nmc6
- Alex Howard (@digiphile) January 29, 2019