Many insiders anticipated the announcement that Facebook’s Chris Kelly, the site’s chief privacy officer, is headed into the California state politics arena. He has announced an exploratory bid for the elected post of attorney general of the state and even fired up a website in support.
He has set up the Web site www.kelly2010.com as his online campaign headquarters. Kelly also has an official Facebook fan page for his campaign, as you might expect. He is a democrat and does have a background in politics, starting off as a Clinton staffer during the president’s successful 1992 bid for office. Kelly also worked at the White House, establishing a host of public service programs that include AmeriCorps.
“Over the past year, many people I respect have asked me to run for California Attorney General in 2010. Today, after much consideration, I am announcing that I’ve launched a committee to further explore the race,” Kelly said in a statement.
Kelly went on to explain that a focus on high-tech issues and accountability, along with innovation, would be key.
“(At Facebook) I have dealt first-hand with the complex legal challenges and privacy issues that effect California businesses and consumers,” Kelly explained. “We need a strong consumer protection advocate as California’s chief law enforcement officer, defending people against unfair practices and schemes. As California faces a budget deficit of more than $41 billion, rising home foreclosure rates, and an uncertain economic future, it is imperative that we prevent consumer fraud and protect California residents from scam artists offering once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for home ownership, phony foreclosure avoidance scams, and any financial fraud.”
According to Facebook, Kelly is not leaving his post with the company at the moment.
One of the key components to a successful Kelly run would be his expertise with Facebook, but some critics might point to a few of the site’s privacy disasters as being weak points in the armor. After all, Kelly had to deal with the embarrassing Beacon advertising program and the subsequent criticism. Still, his ability to work with these issues will doubtlessly be trumpeted as a positive point in any campaign.
This news points even further to the complete integration of our technological world and how knowledge on the technical level can and will transform into expertise and experience in other fields.
