Well-known privacy watchdog Richard Smith said Wednesday that he is leaving his post at the Privacy Foundation to research security issues following the Sept. 11 attacks, one sign of the country's shifting focus from protecting privacy to ensuring safety.
A veteran computer programmer, Smith will leave his position as chief technology officer at the Denver-based Privacy Foundation to become independent consultant. Smith gained prominence early in the Net economy boom for revealing potentially harmful tracking technologies within software programs and operating systems, including high-profile privacy flaws at RealNetworks and Microsoft.
Smith plans to research issues related to Internet security and biometrics technologies, including the effectiveness of facial-scanning technology installed at airports and the possible threat of cyberterrorism.
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