FB Appoints Sunil Abraham to Shape Its Stance on Tech Policy in India

FB Appoints Sunil Abraham to Shape Its Stance on Tech Policy in India is a Business Standard article published on 12 October 2020, written by Peerzada Abrar. The report covers Facebook’s appointment of Sunil Abraham as Public Policy Director for Data and Emerging Tech in India, outlining his responsibilities across data privacy, consumer protection, and AI-led policy, as well as his background in civil society and technology governance.

Contents

  1. Article Details
  2. Full Text
  3. Context and Background
  4. External Link

Article Details

📰 Published in:
Business Standard
📅 Date:
12 October 2020
👤 Author:
Peerzada Abrar
📄 Type:
News Report
📰 Newspaper Link:
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Full Text

Facebook said it has appointed Sunil Abraham as the Public Policy, Director for Data and Emerging Tech to lead and shape the social media giant's stance on tech policy issues in India. Reporting into the Public Policy Director, Abraham will be responsible for building partnerships and engagements with key stakeholders in the public policy area of data privacy, consumer protection, and AI-led innovation for new products and services.

As part of the public policy leadership team, Abraham will contribute to important policy development initiatives and proceedings in India and the South Asia region on data protection, privacy, new and emerging tech. He would also represent Facebook's position in these multi-stakeholder processes.

"Sunil's (Abraham) experience in the field of technology policy and his vast research on data reforms are an ideal fit for Facebook. We are thrilled to have Sunil in our team as he brings deep industry and civil society knowledge and understanding," said Ankhi Das, Public Policy Director, Facebook - India, South & Central Asia. "With his expertise and experience, he will help us in our mission to build transparency, accountability and empowered communities."

Abraham is a serial institution builder with almost a quarter-century of experience in Indian and global civil societies. In 1998, he co-founded Mahiti Infotech, an open technology service provider for the non-profit sector. In 2008, he co-founded the Centre for Internet and Society, a policy and academic research organisation focusing on accessibility, openness, access to knowledge, internet governance, digital humanities and telecom regulation. He has been an advocate of the free/open-source software and was a part of the Wikimedia movement starting in 2004 when he co-managed the International Open Source Network for UNDP. Most recently he spent a year as Endowed Professor at ArtEZ University for the Arts in the Netherlands.

Keeping users safety and privacy at the top, Facebook said it will continue to work alongside governments and regulators to find the right solutions which serve both our mission and public interest.

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Context and Background

The appointment took place at a time when large technology companies were facing increasing scrutiny in India over issues such as data protection, platform accountability, and content governance. Policymakers were actively considering regulatory frameworks addressing privacy, intermediary liability, and digital competition.

By creating a dedicated role focused on data and emerging technologies, Facebook signalled the importance of structured engagement with government institutions and policy processes in India. The role also reflects the growing intersection between technology platforms and public policy in areas such as artificial intelligence, consumer protection, and digital rights.

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