Travis LeBlanc Confirmed For Privacy Oversight Board

The Senate has confirmed three members to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, including EPIC Advisory Board member Travis LeBlanc. LeBlanc is a partner at Boies Schiller, and former Federal Communications Commission Enforcement Bureau Chief. Aditya Bamzai and Ed Felten were also confirmed. Aditya Bamzai is a law professor at the University of Virginia and former Department of Justice attorney. Professor Ed Felten is a former Chief Technology Officer for the FTC, former Deputy White House Science Advisor, and past member of the EPIC Advisory Board. The confirmations establish a quorum for the long dormant agency. The European Parliament has called for suspension of the Privacy Shield if the U.S. does not to improve data protection and restore the PCLOB. EPIC previously testified before PCLOB, made recommendations for PCLOB's handling of FOIA requests, and set out a broad agenda for the work of the independent agency. EPIC previously sought public release of the PCLOB report on Executive order 12333. In 2016, EPIC awarded the Champion of Freedom Award to former PCLOB Board Member Judge Patricia Wald.