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.
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