Industry Moves: Google Public Policy Chief To Join Obama Administration
This story was written by Joseph Tartakoff.
Google's head of global public policy, Andrew McLaughlin, is joining the Obama administration as deputy chief technology officer, the NYT reports, citing sources. A Google (NSDQ: GOOG) spokesman confirmed to paidContent that McLaughlin was leaving, although he could not provide additional details. The NYT says McLaughlin will serve under Aneesh Chopra, who Obama appointed as the nation's first chief technology officer in mid-April. McLauglin's appointment should appease critics who were concerned that Choprathe former secretary of technology in Virginiawas not from the Valley.
Google, of course, already has a prominent presence in the White House. Former business development exec Katie Jacobs Stanton was named the administration's "director of citizen participation" in late January. And CEO Eric Schmidt is a member of the president's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
All those ties, though, have not helped Google shake antitrust concerns. The company has been hit with two antitrust inquiries this monthone looking into its book settlement with publishers and another examining an overlap in membership between its board and Apple's. Before joining Google, McLaughlin helped to launch the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numberswhich is responsible for Internet domain names and IP addressesaccording to his biography at the Berkman Center For Internet and Society at Harvard where he is a fellow.
By Joseph Tartakoff