Ben Wagner is a leading academic in digital rights and technology governance, holding multiple prestigious positions: University Professor of Human Rights & Technology at IT:U, Director of the AI Futures Lab on Rights and Justice at TU Delft, and Professor of Media, Technology and Society at Inholland University of Applied Sciences. He leads the Digital Rights Research Team (DRRT) and co-founded the Sustainable Media Lab (SML) in The Hague, contributing to bridging research and education. He is also a visiting researcher at Oxford University's Human Centred Computing Group and serves on the advisory board of the journal Patterns . Inholland University of Applied Sciences – Professor, Media, Technology & Society (since 2021) TU Delft – Director, AI Futures Lab on Rights and Justice IT:U – University Professor, Human Rights & Technology European University Viadrina – Founding Director, Center for Internet & Human Rights Vienna University of Economics – Director, Sustainable Computing Lab ENISA – Advisory Group Member Ben Wagner earned his PhD in Political and Social Sciences from the European University Institute in Florence in 2013, with a dissertation on freedom of expression and online content regulation. He has held research positions at Cambridge University, University of Pennsylvania, Technical University of Berlin, and European University Viadrina. His research centers on digital rights, AI governance, freedom of expression online, and the societal impact of technology. He investigates how digital infrastructures shape human rights and advocates for sustainable, accountable systems. His work spans legal, technical, and social dimensions, focusing on public sector data practices, content moderation, ethical AI, and digital inclusion. He actively promotes citizen control over technological change and interdisciplinary collaboration. The recent publications reflect a strong focus on the ethical and governance challenges of AI and data science, digital rights frameworks, and platform accountability. Themes include the gap between policy and practice in public data use, global AI ethics, content governance on social media, and co-designing digital rights labels. His work emphasizes systemic accountability, hybrid digital-physical spaces, and embedding rights into technological design. Ben Wagner is an expert advisor to the European Parliament, European Commission, OSCE, Council of Europe, and UNESCO. He is a member of the policy advisory board for ECHOES (European Cloud for Heritage OpEn Science) and contributes to high-impact publications and international discourse. His research is widely covered in global media including CNN, The Guardian, Bloomberg TV, Der Spiegel, ORF, and SWR2. He advises on and contributes to major research initiatives such as ReSocial and fabricated. He is involved in developing a new Master’s program in Data-Driven Business at Inholland and leads efforts to integrate digital rights into education and innovation. His inaugural lecture, 'The Ground Beneath our Feet,' highlights the instability of digital infrastructures and the urgent need to embed digital rights at their core. Ben co-founded the Digital Rights Research Team and the Sustainable Media Lab at Inholland, fostering collaboration across faculties and sectors. These labs focus on creating a digitally responsible society through interdisciplinary research in design, policy, and technology. The AI Futures Lab at TU Delft explores justice-oriented futures for AI, while his work at IT:U advances human rights in digital contexts.
