Harley Geiger Named Deputy Director of CDT Project on Freedom, Security and Technology
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has expanded its security and surveillance team with the addition of Harley Geiger as Senior Counsel and Deputy Director for its Project on Freedom, Security and Surveillance. Geiger is a respected expert on a range of technology and Internet issues, including surveillance, cybersecurity, privacy and free expression. He also previously worked at CDT as a Senior Policy Counsel.
“Harley is a dedicated civil libertarian and policy thought leader who knows how to advance an agenda in creative ways. His time on the Hill coupled with his previous experience at CDT will make him an effective force in the critical arena of security and surveillance. We are thrilled to welcome Harley back to CDT and know he will be a valuable asset to CDT’s Project on Freedom, Security and Technology,” said Greg Nojeim, Director of the Project.
In his new role, Geiger will help fashion CDT’s approach and responses to the ongoing NSA surveillance reform debate, finding ways to protect privacy and civil liberties in the face of overbroad government surveillance practices. Geiger will also support CDT’s work on reforming the outdated Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) and be a leading voice in CDT’s cybersecurity efforts.
Geiger most recently served as Senior Legislative Counsel for U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren. There he was the lead staffer for technology and Internet issues, and was instrumental in helping develop Rep. Lofgren’s Internet freedom agenda, including legislation to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, ECPA, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and copyright laws. Geiger’s previous work at CDT encompassed government surveillance, consumer privacy, health privacy, and data security. He has also worked at the Federal Trade Commission, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and in the Office of the Minority Leader in the Missouri House of Representatives.
“It is an honor to be joining CDT’s world class team at this crossroads for the future of global Internet freedom,” said Geiger. “Surveillance, privacy, and free expression are among the most pressing technology policy issues of our time, and I believe CDT’s legal and technical expertise, experience building diverse coalitions, and powerful relationships make CDT an authoritative source of effective solutions. There’s a lot of work to be done, and I can’t wait to do it.”
Geiger received a BA in Journalism, MA in Journalism and JD from the University of Missouri – Columbia. He is CIPP/US certified and Politico named him one of the Emerging Tech Leaders of 2013.
