Renowned Global Privacy Expert Johnny Ryan Joins Open Markets Institute and Center for Journalism & Liberty
WASHINGTON — The Open Markets Institute and the Center for Journalism & Liberty today welcome Johnny Ryan to their respective teams, with the veteran privacy and data specialist serving as a senior Open Markets fellow and joining the CJL’s Trans-Atlantic Board as an advisory member.
Ryan previously worked at the privacy web browser Brave as chief policy and industry relations officer. Ryan led Brave’s campaign for better enforcement of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. His work has been covered on the front page of Financial Times, and his expert commentary has appeared in The New York Times, The Economist, Wired, and Le Monde, among others. Protocol recently profiled Ryan’s efforts to regulate advertising data.
Before Brave, Ryan worked in ad tech, media, and policy. His previous roles included chief innovation officer of The Irish Times and senior researcher at the Institute of International & European Affairs. Ryan has testified in the U.S. Senate and the European Commission. He earned his doctorate at the University of Cambridge, studying Internet terrorist memes.
“We are thrilled to have Johnny join our Open Markets and CJL teams. His wide breadth of data privacy experience and high level of expertise on ad technology will serve both organizations, as we structure viable policy solutions to ensure the independence and liberty of reporters, editors, and publishers in the United States and around the world,” said Barry Lynn, executive director of the Open Markets Institute. “Johnny knows better than anyone how to ensure that law enforcers protect our news markets from monopolistic control by any one or few private actors.”
Jody Brannon, director of the Center for Journalism & Liberty, looks toward his expertise to deepen understanding of how Facebook’s and Google’s data dominance in the global ad market limits the ability of news sites to thrive. “Johnny has the gifts of both an evangelist and educator, able to explain the complexities and obstacles facing credible news organizations.”
Ryan hopes to help citizens and policymakers better understand how today’s platform monopolists misuse data, and he hopes to contribute to other essential Open Markets and CJL missions.
“Big tech companies create cascading monopolies by leveraging users’ data from one line of business to dominate other lines of business, too. That’s a problem. This hurts nascent competitors, stifles innovation, and reduces consumer choice,” Ryan said. “Having spent much of my career inside the tech industry, I want to focus now on holding Big Tech to account. I’m eager to work with the Open Markets Institute and Center for Journalism & Liberty to do that.”