NSA announces first transparency officer

Rebecca Richards, NSA’s Director of Civil Liberties and Privacy, has been appointed to serve concurrently as the Agency’s first Transparency Officer. This dual role complements ongoing initiatives to ensure that NSA has the best civil liberties and privacy practices.

The appointment reflects NSA’s commitment to the Principles of Intelligence Transparency for the Intelligence Community (IC) which were recently established by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in conjunction with IC agencies. The principles support making information publicly available in a way that enhances understanding of intelligence activities, while continuing to protect information when disclosure would harm national security. You can view the Principles at www.dni.gov.

As the NSA Transparency Officer, Richards will serve on the ODNI-led Intelligence Transparency Council, a new forum where the IC will develop a strategic, coordinated, and proactive approach to increased transparency. This approach will include not only sharing information about the rules that apply to the IC and its compliance under those rules, but also sharing information about what the IC does in pursuit of its national security mission, while at the same time protecting vital intelligence sources, methods, and activities.

Source: NSA