The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has named Michelle Richardson as Director of the Privacy & Data Project. Richardson and her team engage companies and government officials to create policies and technical solutions that protect individual privacy, empower users, and advance social justice.
“Michelle Richardson is one of the most effective advocates in Washington. She is a brilliant tactician who is firmly committed to protecting the civil liberties of all. As momentum builds towards comprehensive legislative protections of our personal data, Michelle’s deep domain expertise and advocacy experience position her perfectly to lead our talented privacy & data team. We’re thrilled her career will continue to grow at CDT,” said Nuala O’Connor, CDT President & CEO.
“There is no better time to be working on privacy than now, and no better place to do it than at the Center for Democracy & Technology. I’m proud to pick up the torch for CDT and continue our work towards federal privacy legislation,” said Richardson.
In addition to its efforts to advance privacy legislation in the United States, the Data & Privacy team explores the changing role of technology in our daily lives, investigating its impact on individuals and communities. Recent examples of the Project’s work include topics such as algorithms, artificial intelligence & ethical decision making, student privacy, health privacy, and the evolution of Internet of Things devices. The team also works closely with CDT’s European Union office on GDPR implementation and enforcement, as well as other privacy-related directives and regulations moving through various EU bodies.
Richardson was most recently CDT’s Deputy Director of the Freedom, Security, and Technology Project. Before joining CDT in 2017, she led the American Civil Liberties Union’s preeminent legislative campaigns against overreaching surveillance programs for 10 years. She also served as a democratic counsel for the House Judiciary Committee where she worked on a range of anti-terrorism laws and policies. She received her B.A. from the University of Colorado and her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law.