David Kaye

David Kaye is a Clinical Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law and Director of the International Justice Clinic. He previously served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression from 2014 to 2020. Currently, he holds appointments as the 2023-2024 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Public International Law at Lund University and as the U.S. Independent Expert to the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission).

His research focuses on public international law, international humanitarian law, human rights, international criminal justice, the law governing use of force, and freedom of expression. He has particular expertise in technology and human rights, having extensively examined issues related to artificial intelligence, spyware, online hate speech, and content moderation by technology companies. His influential 2019 book Speech Police: The Global Struggle to Govern the Internet explores how companies, governments and activists define rules for online expression.

Kaye's scholarly output demonstrates consistent engagement with evolving digital rights challenges, with recent publications addressing freedom of expression's crisis of interpretation, spyware regulation, and the intersection of UN Charter principles with human rights. His work spans academic journals, UN reports, and public commentary in major media outlets including Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Guardian.

• Former UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression (2014-2020)
• 2023-2024 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Public International Law
• U.S. Independent Expert to the Venice Commission
• Independent Board Chair of the Global Network Initiative
• Trustee of ARTICLE 19
• Member of the Council on Foreign Relations

As Director of the International Justice Clinic, Kaye supervises students working on human rights advocacy and has testified before bodies including the European Parliament regarding spyware's impact on human rights. He regularly participates in high-level policy discussions on digital rights, having conducted official UN missions to Japan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Mexico, Liberia, Ecuador and Ethiopia during his tenure as Special Rapporteur. His current courses include Advanced International Justice Clinic and International Justice Clinic.