Allie Funk

Allie leads Freedom House's technology and democracy initiative, including Freedom on the Net and Election Watch for the Digital Age. She also represents Freedom House on the Freedom Online Coalition's Advisory Network, and serves on the Global Network Initiative's Board of Directors. Her writing has been published in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, WIRED, Lawfare, the Hill, the Diplomat, and Just Security, among others.

Prior to joining Freedom House, Allie worked at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers on issues relating to reforming U.S. surveillance practices, closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, and protecting the right to counsel, and also worked with Human Rights First’s foreign policy team. She holds a master's degree in human rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a B.A. in philosophy and political science from the University of Louisville.

Featured Reports

Freedom on the Net

Freedom on the Net 2023: The Repressive Power of Artificial Intelligence

Freedom on the Net 2022: Countering an Authoritarian Overhaul of the Internet

Freedom on the Net 2021: The Global Drive to Control Big Tech

Freedom on the Net 2020: The Pandemic's Digital Shadow

Freedom on the Net 2019: The Crisis of Social Media

Other

False Panacea: Abusive Surveillance in the Name of Public Health

Information Isolation: Censoring the COVID-19 Outbreak

User Privacy or Cyber Sovereignty: Assessing the Human Rights Implications of Data Localization

Social Media Surveillance

Digital Election Interference

Selected Publications

• The Human Rights Costs of Data Localization Around the World | Tech Policy Press — March 26, 2024 (with Jennifer Brody)
• Reversal of US Trade Policy Threatens the Free and Open Internet | Tech Policy Press — November 15, 2023 (with Jennifer Brody)
• AI Chatbots Are Learning to Spout Authoritarian Propaganda | WIRED — October 4, 2023 (with Adrian Shahbaz and Kian Vesteinsson)
• Biden’s Spyware Order: A Needed First Step | Lawfare — April 28, 2023 (with Steven Feldstein)
• Responding to Digital Repression: Opportunities for Governments | Digital Repression: Causes, Consequences and Policy Responses, Global Policy Journal E-Book, Durham University — April 27, 2023
• Internet Freedom Isn't a Luxury | The Information — February 21, 2023 (with Adrian Shahbaz and Kian Vesteinsson)
• A TikTok Trend You Can’t Ignore: Addressing the Risks by Protecting Privacy and Bolstering Transparency | Freedom House — February 1, 2023
• Putting a Thumb on the Market: The Rise of State-Aligned Platforms from Repressive Contexts | Power 3.0 — January 17, 2023
• What Twitter's lawsuit against the Indian government could mean for global free expression | The Los Angeles Times — July 16, 2022 (with Kian Vesteinsson)
• How Elon Musk's Twitter Could Boost State Censorship | The Information — May 5, 2022
• Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Accelerates Its Drive Toward Cyber Sovereignty | Tech Policy Press — March 8, 2022 (with Grant Baker)
• Biden’s Democracy Summit Must Protect Internet Freedom – At Home and Around the World | Center for European Policy Analysis — December 8, 2021
• On Internet Freedom, China and Taiwan Are Worlds Apart | The Diplomat — October 12, 2021 (with Sarah Cook)
• Governments are coming for Big Tech. Here’s what it could mean for your rights online | The Los Angeles Times — October 10, 2021 (with Adrian Shahbaz)
• Apple's AirTag offers convenience but poses serious threats—and it's not alone | The Washington Post — May 13, 2021
• In India, US Defense Secretary Austin Must Not Overlook Its Democratic Decline | Just Security — March 16, 2021 (with Amy Slipowitz)
• Myanmar is Experiencing a Digital-Age Coup - Tech Companies Must Push Back | Just Security — February 16, 2021
• The pandemic's digital shadow: increased surveillance | The Hill — October 14, 2020 (with Adrian Shahbaz)
• Fighting Covid-19 Shouldn't Mean Abandoning Human Rights | WIRED — April 9, 2020
• Protecting Democracy during a Global Pandemic | The Bulwark — March 26, 2020 (with Isabel Linzer)
• How the coronavirus could trigger a backslide on freedom around the world | The Washington Post — March 16, 2020 (with Isabel Linzer)
• As Trump Returns from India, Others in U.S. Must Press Modi on Rights in Kashmir and Across the Country | Just Security — February 26, 2020
• Iran Tensions Increase Social Media Surveillance at the Border | WIRED — January 9, 2020
• I Opted Out of Facial Recognition at the Airport—It Wasn't Easy | WIRED — July 2, 2019
• New US visa requirements threaten privacy and freedom of expression | The Hill — June 23, 2019
• Citing ‘Fake News,’ Singapore Could Be Next to Quash Free Expression | Just Security — April 8, 2019
• Taking No Chances, Thailand’s Junta Locks Down the Internet ahead of Elections | Just Security — March 21, 2019
• Now streaming: censorship | openDemocracy — January 23, 2019