Report: Google public policy head to join Obama
The former head of Google's public policy team will soon reportedly be working for the public.
Andrew McLaughlin, currently listed as Google's director of global public policy, will leave Google to accept a position within the Obama administration reporting to the nation's new chief technology officer, Aneesh Chopra, according to a report in The New York Times. McLaughlin's new title will be deputy chief technology officer, and he would become the third high-profile Google executive to join the government since Obama was inaugurated in January.
Google confirmed that McLaughlin plans to leave, but is still with the company. The White House could not be reached for comment.
McLaughlin oversaw Google's interests regarding governments around the world, for example, devoting ample time in 2006 to managing pressure over Google's policies in China. He'll join former colleagues Katie Stanton and Sonal Shah in the new administration, which has been advised on technology matters by Google CEO Eric Schmidt since Obama was on the campaign trail.
Speculation has grown in recent months that the new administration would be taking a closer look at Google, which dominates the market for Internet search and advertising. Google and the Federal Trade Commission are apparently discussing Schmidt's role as a member of the board of directors of both Google and Apple, and the Department of Justice is reportedly taking a look at Google's recent settlement with book publishers.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom. 
Be more clear. McLaughlin openly excused Google's role in helping the Chinese government learn how to use search engines to censor political speech. Given that background, don't expect the Obama administration to display much interest in free speech in the more repressive regimes of the world: China, Saudi Arabia and the like. In the Middle East Obama resembles former president Carter. He likes the repressive regimes, even bowing deeply to the Saudi king, and dislikes democratic Israel.
Or here for that matter. Obama's political appointees in the Justice Department just overrode seasoned department lawyers and blocked prosecution of Black Panthers for some very nasty voting intimidation during the 2008 election that was caught on video. (Think of the Klan in the 1920s, but dressed in black quasi-military outfits rather than white robes.) What next--IRS audits for those on an enemies list? Break-ins and wiretaps at Republican headquarters?
I wonder if Andrew McLaughlin also played a role in the international disaster that the Google settlement is rapidly shaping up to be, particularly in Europe. In a high-level meeting on Thursday, the EU formally announced an investigation of the settlement as a violation of European copyright laws. Led by Germany, Britain, France and the Netherlands are already taking action and friends in Europe tell me Sweden will soon be involved. Google's greed is turning it into a global pirana.
The European reaction is hardly surprising. The average high school student can read Google's FAQ sheet about the settlement and the Berne copyright convention, which we have signed, and see that the two cannot be reconciled. You'd think a graduate of Harvard Law like McLaughlin could do as well.
- by queticomn May 30, 2009 3:28 PM PDT
- Oh great, the former head of Google's director of global public policy the biggest spyware company on the planet to me on the technology team for Obama. Were doomed.
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