Privacy chief for NSA: 'This is a real job'

One of the toughest tasks for the top privacy official at the National Security Agency might be convincing the public to take her seriously.

Rebecca Richards, who took over as the spy agency’s first ever civil liberties and privacy director in February, took to Tumblr to answer questions about the agency’s regard for privacy and civil liberties. The first question: “Is ‘NSA Civil Liberties and Privacy Director’ a real position or is this all a joke?” Richards responded that she is real, “and this is a real job.” “My job is to lead the integration of civil liberties and privacy protections across the NSA and strengthen transparency,” added Richards, a former official in the Department of Homeland Security’s privacy office.