Federal Trade Commission appoints new chief technologist

The Federal Trade Commission has announced Ashkan Soltani as its new chief technologist, according to a release. 

Soltani will be replacing Dr. Latanya Sweeney, who decided to rejoin Harvard University's Data Privacy Lab, which she helped create and direct. 

With more than 20 years of experience in the privacy and security space, Soltani will be responsible in helping increase the agency's efforts in technology and privacy issues. He previously worked as a technical adviser to the Commission and also as a staff technologist between 2010 and 2011. 

In addition to working as a technical expert for various state attorney generals, Soltani was an investigative reporter for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, and was a researcher for The New York Times.