Maria Luciano (she/her)

Fellow / Former Research associate

Maria works at the intersection of law and technology, and has conducted research on a wide variety of topics such as privacy and data protection, internet access, platform regulation, as well as democratic theory and political participation.

Before joining Connected by data, she worked as a data protection researcher and consultant in Brazil in the private, public and third sectors.

She participated in the Brazilian version of the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s “Who has Your Back?” Project. And co-authored the Brazilian chapter of the IT for Change’s grant “Policy Frameworks for digital platforms – Moving from openness to inclusion”.

Maria was the Brazil Sub-national Lead for the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT), hosted by the Blavatnik School of Government at University of Oxford.

Maria is currently a Lecturer at Data Privacy Brasil and a participant in the Fall 2022 Research Sprint on “Digital Identity in Time of Crisis: Designing for Better Futures”, hosted by the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.

She earned a Masters of Law and a Bachelor of Law degrees from University of São Paulo, in Brazil.

What’s the problem? Data from others, from the world and from ourselves can be used by companies and governments in ways that affect our lives. So why don’t we have a say in how this is done?

What’s the opportunity? There is a growing movement for more democratic control of technology and space for experimentation, with cases of public interest governance of data and AI arising across the world.

Why G20 Brasil? Together, the Group of 20 (G20) members represent 85% of global GDP, over 75% of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world’s population, playing “a significant role in shaping and strengthening the architecture and global governance across all major international economic issues.” Moreover, Brasil has a long and strong history of social movements mobilisation and collective redress to push for rights.

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With the UK’s Data Protection and Digital Information Bill being back in the Commons, and our concerns regarding how it misses an opportunity to build public trust in technology and give people and communities a powerful say in the matter, we have been looking to learn from other countries on ways to address these issues.

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Months ago I got a text from a dear friend who works in finance, with a video she had seen on Instagram of an investor reporting on some of the things he had heard at the Davos Forum about artificial intelligence. “Everytime I see something about AI I think of you”, she said, intending for it to sound nicer than how I interpreted it, as someone who is concerned about, a bit fed up with, the hype and solutionism around it.

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It has been almost 18 months since I first joined CbD, and it is crazy to look back and see there was a whole different scenario going on around data and AI.

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Weeknotes are a combination of updates and personal reflection written on a routine basis

Do you collect, use or share data?

We can help you build trust with your customers, clients or citizens

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Do you want data to be used in your community’s interests?

We can help you organise to ensure that data benefits your community

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