#rp26 speaker Johnny Ryan: How we avoid dystopia

How did Europe become so vulnerable to the influence of Big Tech companies? For years, the tech industry has quietly reshaped the our societies, while governments and institutions struggle to keep up. At #rp26, Johnny Ryan delves into the history of the internet to uncover the tech industry’s biggest scam and asks what steps are now needed to avoid a dystopia.

Johnny Ryan  is the Director and Senior Fellow of Enforce. Previously, he held senior positions in online advertising, media, and technology. He served as Chief Policy Officer at Brave Software and Chief Innovation Officer at the Irish Times Group. Through his work at Enforce and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, where he led extensive investigations into online advertising, surveillance, and data misuse, he has become one of the most prominent critics of the adtech industry in Europe. He is the author of two books, and his regulatory commentary and expert analysis have appeared in The New York Times, The Economist, The Guardian, Die Zeit, Wired, Le Monde, the Financial Times, and other leading media outlets. He is currently also a Senior Fellow at the Open Markets Institute.