As the battle over encryption shifts to Congress, Apple has hired the National Football League’s top lobbyist and a former aide to Vice President Joe Biden to run its Washington, D.C., offices.
Apple Hires NFL Lobbyist to Run Washington Office
The new top lobbyist arrives as the encryption battle heats up in Congress.
Bryan Thomas / Getty
Cynthia Hogan will serve as the Cupertino technology giant’s vice president for public policy and government affairs — a position that has been vacant for about a year. She’ll report to Lisa Jackson, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency who heads Apple’s environment, policy and social initiatives.
“Cynthia’s intellect and judgment have consistently distinguished her as a uniquely talented professional and we’re lucky to have her join the team at Apple,” Jackson said in a statement.
The appointment was first reported in Politico.
Hogan will seek to influence the national debate over security and privacy at a time when two powerful U.S. Senators, Dianne Feinstein and Richard Burr, have drafted legislation that would require technology companies to decrypt messages when served with a court order.
Silicon Valley is already lining up in opposition to the proposal, and some D.C. observers are skeptical that any bill that deals with such a controversial issue will get passed in an election year.
Hogan assumes the new role on April 29.
“I’m honored to join a wonderful team committed to making the best products on earth and leaving the world better than we found it,” said Hogan.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
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