New York, NY (2/10/2021) – Data & Society is thrilled to announce today that Brittany Smith has been named our first Policy Director. Her appointment began on February 1.

As Policy Director, Smith will increase the visibility and reach of Data & Society’s research within technology and policy communities, including civil society partners, government, and the tech industry. Smith comes to Data & Society after 10 years at Alphabet.

Most recently, Smith worked at DeepMind where she led partnerships and public engagement on AI policy, human rights, and racial justice. Prior to joining DeepMind, she worked on Google’s public policy and government affairs strategy teams in San Francisco and London, supporting Google’s work against online extremism and hate speech, as well as working on child safety and privacy issues.

“Joining Data & Society is an enormous privilege. This community’s research has shaped and informed my work in countless ways,” says Brittany Smith. “I’m thankful for Data & Society’s leadership in challenging the power and purpose of technology and society, and I’m excited to play a role in elevating empirical research in policy spaces.”

“I have long admired Brittany’s powerful, thoughtful interventions to advance policy positions that address the interplay between technology, accountability, and racial justice,” says Janet Haven, executive director of Data & Society. “She brings a wealth of experience, expertise, and humanity to this new role. I couldn’t be more delighted to have her onboard.”

“Brittany’s deep experience navigating the tensions between multiple actors in the policy space—governments, tech companies, and concerned citizens—positions her perfectly to build strategic interventions to advance equitable and accountable tech policy,” says Data & Society Founder and President danah boyd.

“In Brittany we have gained someone who can turn Data & Society’s various policy actions into a sustained effort, who can give our research the best chance of a long-lasting impact,” remarks Sareeta Amrute, Data & Society director of research.

Smith is a graduate of Northwestern University and currently lives in London, where she studied at the London School of Economics’ Gender Institute.

###
Media Contact:
[email protected]