Today, the Centre for Democracy & Technology Europe (CDT Europe) is proud to announce the creation of its new Advisory Council, an exciting milestone for our organisation as we strengthen our work at the intersection of technology, policy, and democracy in Europe.
This distinguished group of leaders brings together diverse expertise and perspectives from across academia, civil society, and policy. Their guidance will be crucial as CDT Europe continues to advance a vision of technology and tech policy that respects fundamental rights, strengthens democratic values, and works for everyone.
Asha Allen, Secretary General of CDT Europe, said:
We are thrilled to introduce our inaugural Advisory Council- an exciting milestone for CDT Europe in our journey as an organisation. We are honoured to count on the guidance of this incredible group of experts, who will play a key role in advising us on our advocacy strategies and strategic objectives. We very much look forward to working with our Council Members in the months to come.
The Advisory Council will meet four times each year to advise CDT Europe on emerging issues, strategic priorities, and key advocacy efforts. Operating independently from CDT Europe’s Board, the Council will guide our policy work and ensure our advocacy reflects a broad spectrum of expertise and diverse viewpoints. Sophie In’t Veld, former Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Advisory Council, said:
The digital revolution held the promise of empowering citizens, but that hope seems lost as we face increasing rights violations by actors who persistently try to limit accountability. Today the relationship between technology and democracy has become a toxic one, but it can be turned around.
I am very honoured and excited to work in the new CDT Europe Advisory Council with a team of the very best experts in the field to develop new ideas and actions to reclaim the digital revolution and make it serve and strengthen democracy.
The Advisory Council Members
We are thrilled to welcome the following members to CDT Europe’s Advisory Council:
- Dr Abeba Birhane, Founder and Leader of the AI Accountability Lab (AIAL), and Assistant Professor of AI at the School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College Dublin
- Professor Joris V.J. van Hoboken, Professor of Information Law at the Institute for Information Law (IViR), University of Amsterdam
- Professor Clare McGlynn, Professor of Law at Durham University, and member of the Council of Europe’s Expert Committee on Combating Tech-Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls
- Andre Meister, Investigative Researcher and Journalist at netzpolitik.org, and Founding Member of Digitale Gesellschaft and Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte (GFF)
- Oyidiya Oji Palino, Policy and Advocacy Advisor for Digital Rights at the European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
- Sophie In’t Veld (Advisory Council Chair), Former Member of the European Parliament and rapporteur for the Inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (PEGA)
- Professor Ben Wagner, University Professor of Human Rights and Technology at IT:U, Director of the AI Futures Lab at TU Delft, and Professor of Media, Technology and Society at Inholland
- Dr Charlotte Webb, Associate Director at Unthinkable, and co-founder of the collective Feminist Internet
- Dr Sabine Witting, Assistant Professor of Law and Digital Technologies at eLaw – Center for Law and Digital Technologies, Leiden University, and co-founder of Tech Legality
With expertise spanning artificial intelligence, gender and technology, migration, privacy, transparency, and democratic accountability, this group represents a truly intersectional and inclusive approach to shaping Europe’s digital future.
CDT Europe looks forward to working closely with these outstanding experts as they contribute to our mission: building a digital environment that empowers, protects, and respects individuals and communities across Europe.