Bruce Schneier leaves BT after eight years as "security futurologist" - UPDATED
And it's nothing to do with Schneier's opposition to GCHQ's tapping of fibre networks owned by, err, BT...
Security guru Bruce Schneier is leaving his role of "security futurologist" at BT after almost eight years.
His departure follows recent comments about the mass surveillance activities of the US National Security Agency (NSA) and GCHQ, and his appointment to the board of the Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF) in July.
Schneier joined BT when it acquired his security services company Counterpane, which was renamed BT Counterpane. He was retained in a role of security futurologist and was, effectively, an ambassador for the company as a high-profile spokesman and respected security expert.
However, Schneiers' increasing privacy activism has left his stance increasingly at odds with BT, which was implicated in the disclosures this summer that GCHQ is tapping UK fibre optic network cables - many of which are owned and managed by his now-former-employer BT.
The company denied that Schneier's departure was anything to do with his increasing privacy activism and instead said that the relationship between Schneier and BT had simply "run its course and come to a natural end".
UPDATE: In an email to ArsTechnica, Schneier says that while BT did not seek to censor his views, it was nevertheless time to move on: