Ido Sivan-Sevilla

Dr. Ido Sivan-Sevilla is an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland College of Information, where he founded the UMD Tech Policy Hub. He bridges computer science and public policy, focusing on cybersecurity, consumer privacy, misinformation, and trustworthy machine learning governance. His work examines how private industries and policymakers design digital governance frameworks across political systems.

Education:

• B.A. (Computer Science, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology)
• M.A. (Public Affairs, University of Minnesota via Fulbright Scholarship)
• Ph.D. (Public Policy & Governance, Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
• Postdoctoral Fellow (Cornell Tech’s Digital Life Initiative)

Research Methods: Combines technical expertise (e.g., AdTech analysis, threat actor investigations) with text analysis, interviews, and surveys to study governance structures in digital ecosystems. Explores how profit-driven actors undermine data/democratic rights through private governance arrangements.

Awards:

• Fulbright Scholar (MA in Public Affairs)

Labs & Affiliations: Leads the Tech Policy Hub and is affiliated with the Social Data Science Center (SoDa). Current focus excludes accepting new PhD students.