Robert Gorwa

Academic Profile

I’m a DPhil student in International Relations, and a researcher affiliated with both the ComProp Project at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) and the DPIR’s Centre for Technology and Global Affairs. My interests lie at the intersection of the Internet, international relations, and political theory, with a focus on complex governance and policy questions that involve the interplay of government, corporate, and public interests.

Recently, this has meant tackling a variety of pressing topics, from the governance and regulatory challenges posed by large tech companies, to the potential democratic implications of political automation (aka ‘bots’). But I also broadly work on cybersecurity and international relations (norms, deterrence, governance, sovereignty, and power), global tech policy issues (encryption, filtering, content policies, etc), and emerging ethical and policy questions around algorithms and AI.

Previously, I was a graduate student at the OII (where I completed a MSc). My undergraduate studies were in International Relations at the University of British Columbia. 

I have been writing about technology and politics for some years now, with pieces published in Foreign Affairs, Wired, Quartz, the Washington Post, and other outlets. For musings, see my twitter; for a full list of writing, publications, and projects, please see my website.