Apple security expert moves to ACLU as 'public interest tech' builds

A senior Apple security expert left for a much lower-paying job at the American Civil Liberties Union, the latest sign of increasing activity on policy issues by Silicon Valley privacy specialists and other engineers. Jon Callas, who led a team of hackers breaking into pre-release Apple products to test their security, started Dec 3 in a two-year role as technology fellow at the ACLU. Prior to his latest stint at Apple, Callas designed an encryption system to protect data on Macs and co-founded communications companies Silent Circle, Blackphone and PGP Corp. Famed cryptography author Bruce Schneier encouraged Callas to take the ACLU post. “Discrimination in the 21st century is algorithmic. Free-speech abuses in the 21st century are about platforms,” Schneier said. “It is no longer the case that these worlds are separate.”