Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board Chair Resigning

David Medine is resigning as chairman of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, which is an independent agency established as part of the executive branch.

Medine said he will be leaving in July. He has been chairman since May 2013.

The board was created in 2007 at the recommendation of the 911 Commission to insure that government efforts to prevent terrorism are balanced with the need to protect privacy and civil liberties.

That issue has gotten a spotlight as terrorists use new tech to recruit members, plan attacks and avoid capture.

Medine says he is leaving to work with a development organization, advising them on data privacy and consumer protection for lower-income financial consumers in developing countries.

“I have had the great privilege of being PCLOB’s first chairman. During my tenure and thanks to the support of the President and Congress, the Board has been able to carry out its timely mission of conducting oversight and providing advice to ensure that federal counterterrorism efforts properly balance national security with privacy and civil liberties," Medine said in a statement. 

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.