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Why did you choose privacy as a career?
I'm not sure I did choose a career in data privacy. Because I had done a lot of programming as a kid, I took a job programming microscopes after grad school. But I was thinking, this privacy issue seems like a big problem. So it was bothering me. I just kept reading stuff about it. I applied for a few jobs and I was lucky enough to get a job working on the Tor browser, basically knowing zero about web browsers, except using one. So that's where I learned - on the job. Now I run a project in my spare time, where I conduct objective privacy tests on major web browsers.
Why is digital privacy important?
Everything has rapidly moved online, and more and more in our society will depend on computer capabilities. It is really scary that numerous governments are surveilling their citizens, wielding a power that can be misused in various ways, including undermining democracy. As we enter the era of AI, there are concerns about its potential misuse for political gain, such as targeting specific voters to secure power. I just don't want this kind of world. We need people to be, free to think what they want to think.
In the year to come; what will be your primary focus?
In my PrivacyTests project, I am testing many areas of browser privacy, including cookies, tracking scripts, tracking parameters, HTTPS usage, fingerprinting and DNS privacy. There are two major remaining areas that I want to start testing. One is additional types of fingerprinting, and the other is how browsers often track users' behaviour on various websites.
What privacy issue interests you the most right now?
I’m very interested in enhancing the security of the connections made by web browsers. Firefox created a feature known as HTTPS by Default, which means that when you visit a website, it first attempts to connect securely via HTTPS before reverting to the less secure HTTP. I have worked on making this same feature available in Brave as well – I believe Brave was the first major browser to offer this feature enabled for all users and now Chrome has also rolled it out by default, so that's a good step forward.
What are you most worried about when it comes to the future of privacy?
I’m passionate about enhancing privacy for everyone, not just those who choose private browsers. Recently, we faced a setback when Chrome announced it would not deprecate third-party cookies. That is a pretty serious problem. It raises crucial questions about the future of the web: Will we live in a world where tracking is the norm, or are we going to fix this global issue? While I don't have the answers, I am eager to contribute to this important discussion.
I’m concerned that this issue may remain unresolved and could worsen as AI and surveillance capabilities grow stronger. Overcoming the current inertia is challenging, especially given that major companies like Google have a vested interest in tracking people.
Your roadmap to achieving DPIA excellence
We’ve gathered our top insights on securing a successful DPIA process. It includes step-by-step guides, cheat sheets for getting management buy-in, and expert tips to make DPIAs a seamless part of your data protection strategy.
