Darren Byler

Darren Byler is an Assistant Professor of International Studies at Simon Fraser University's School for International Studies. His research focuses on surveillance capitalism, stateless populations, and infrastructural colonialism in China, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of Washington, an M.A. in East Asian Studies from Columbia University, and a B.A. in History & Visual Journalism from Kent State University.

Byler's work examines how Chinese state and technological systems implement 'terror capitalism' through mass surveillance, internment camps, and labor systems targeting Uyghur populations. His monograph Terror Capitalism (2022) received major anthropological awards. Current projects include studying Chinese digital infrastructure's global expansion and Malaysia's 'safe city' systems. He co-leads the Xinjiang Documentation Project, amplifying Uyghur voices through testimonies and archival work, and publishes in public outlets like The Guardian and Noema Magazine.

Teaching focuses include surveillance capitalism, Chinese international politics, and global development. His research has informed policy papers for institutions like the Wilson Center and Australian Parliament, addressing atrocity prevention and tech governance. Byler's transdisciplinary approach bridges academic ethnography with public advocacy against state violence.