Shanthi Kalathil

Shanthi Kalathil is a leading expert on technology and democracy. Her current roles include:

• Founder and Principal, MDO Advisors
• Visiting Senior Fellow, German Marshall Fund of the U.S.
• Senior Fellow, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California

Previously, she served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Democracy and Human Rights at the National Security Council under President Biden, leading the Summit for Democracy and the U.S. Strategy on Countering Corruption.

She holds degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dr. Kalathil's research centers on the challenges to democracy in the digital era, with a focus on:

• Digital authoritarianism and internet censorship
• Information warfare and foreign interference
• Transnational kleptocracy and corruption
• Media development and accountable governance

Her work examines how authoritarian regimes leverage technology to suppress dissent and how democracies can respond through policy and institutional innovation.

Her publications, including the influential book "Open Networks, Closed Regimes", analyze the dual-edged impact of the internet on authoritarian rule. She has also contributed to understanding the role of independent media in fostering accountability and the integration of technology in diplomacy and security.

She serves on the boards of Radio Free Asia and the National Democratic Institute, contributing to global media freedom and democratic institution-building.