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NSA hires first-ever privacy and civil liberties officer

The National Security Agency hired its first privacy and civil liberties officer this week in response to an order from President Obama.

Rebecca Richards, former senior director for privacy at the Department of Homeland Security, will start the position next month, according to The Hill.

Richards will “ensure privacy and civil liberties considerations remain a vital driver” for strategic decisions, especially in technology and processes areas, an NSA release said.

The job was posted in September, more than 60 years after the agency's establishment, and a month after President Obama mentioned his plan for creating the position.

People both domestically and abroad have scrutinized the NSA's activities after former contractor Edward Snowden leaked thousands of documents this past summer.

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