Obama's secure PDA

[Nicolas Williams]

On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 04:18:39PM -0500, Jerry Leichter wrote:
>                                     An email system for the White  
> House has the additional complication of the Presidential Records  
> Act:  Phone conversations don't have to be recorded, but mail messages  
> do (and have to remain accessible).

[OT for this list, I know.]

It seems that the President's lawyers believe that IM is covered by the
Presidential Records Act and shouldn't be used in the White House:

http://www.newser.com/tag/31542/1/presidential-records-act.html
http://www.newser.com/story/48239/team-obama-told-to-ditch-instant-messaging.html

One possible workaround might be to allow WH staff to _receive_ IMs, and
follow twitting from outside the WH, but not respond to any of it except
by phone.  (Even phone calls, though not recorded, are dangerous to the
WH since there is a record of calls made and taken.)

Of course, if there's nothing to hide, then, why not just use IM and be
done?  The legal advice seems sounds, but it's just advice.  Obama and
his staff could easily use and archive IMs and avoid embarrassment by,
well, keeping discussions above board.

Nico
-- 

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