Topic: Privacy Officer

Becky Richards has been appointed as the first Civil Liberties and Privacy Officer for the NSA. Previously a privacy director at the Department of Homeland Security, Richards is tasked with advising the agency on building privacy considerations into its operations, though critics view the role as purely for public relations.

The discussion focuses on President Obama's claim that his primary commitments are keeping people safe and upholding the Constitution. The hosts argue that the presidential oath actually mandates preserving, protecting, and defending the Constitution, rather than a specific duty to defend the American people. They further debate the legal definition of privacy rights versus government encroachment.

Google was recently awarded a patent for serving ads based on environmental conditions gathered through device sensors like microphones and cameras. Adam Curry discusses his move to Ubuntu and Thunderbird to improve privacy and performance, while John Dvorak remains skeptical of open-source design tools.