In her appointment, Seyi will collaborate with the Observatory and civil society stakeholders to contribute to research and policy development on the governance of social media and its influence on democratic processes.
The London Social Media Observatory (LSMO) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Seyi Akiwowo (Author, How to Stay Safe Online, founder of Glitch, now founder, 21/20 Studios) as our inaugural Policy Fellow, bringing extensive experience at the intersection of technology governance, democratic participation, and digital safety.
During the fellowship, Seyi will collaborate with the Observatory and civil society stakeholders to contribute to research and policy development on the governance of social media and its influence on democratic processes. Her work will focus particularly on the design of governance frameworks capable of identifying and mitigating systemic digital risks during elections and other democratic moments.
The fellowship will support collaborative knowledge exchange between researchers, policymakers, and civil society organisations, contributing expert evidence to emerging policy debates on social media’s role in elections and democratic participation. This includes ongoing discussions surrounding the Representation of the People Bill 2024–26 and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s consultation on ‘Growing up in the online world’.
Dr Andreu Casas, Director of the London Social Media Observatory, noted:
“We are thrilled to be working with Seyi on a range of important topics related to technology, society, AI, and politics, that require deeper governance and policy attention.
We first met in December 2025 at the roundtable we co-hosted with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, and were very impressed by her contributions to discussions at the event and the policy brief we co-produced.
This opportunity, generously funded by Royal Holloway’s Social Science Impact Accelerator, will help the LSMO to identify priority research questions and research designs for future projects related to social media and content moderation, which are strengthened by Seyi’s extensive experience in the field.”
For almost a decade, Seyi has advised technology companies and institutions including TikTok, Jigsaw and Yoti on platform governance, digital safety, and responsible technology design. Beyond this, she has also been a member of the European Trust and Safety Councils, engaged in conversations with the United Nations, OECD, European Parliament and the British Council, and contributed to landmark discussions including the UK Online Safety Act 2023 and the United Nations Convention on Racial Discrimination.
On this position, Seyi added:
“Social media platforms increasingly operate as part of the infrastructure of democratic life, particularly for Gen Z and historically disenfranchised communities. Decisions about algorithm design, content moderation, and platform governance shape how citizens encounter information, participate in public debate, and experience elections.
As the first Policy Fellow at the London Social Media Observatory, I will work with researchers and stakeholders to explore how stronger governance frameworks can identify and mitigate digital harms while protecting democratic participation. The fellowship creates an opportunity to bridge research, policy, and institutional practice so that responses to online harm move beyond reactive moderation toward more durable standards of accountability.
The fellowship will contribute to the development of policy recommendations and research outputs examining governance approaches for digital platforms during elections and other democratic processes.”
—ENDS—
About Seyi Akiwowo
Seyi Akiwowo is a technology governance strategist, author of How to Stay Safe Online (Penguin 2022), and founder of 21/20 Studios, working at the intersection of digital safety, platform governance, and democratic participation. A former elected politician, her work focuses on how digital platforms are shaping the infrastructure of democratic life.
She is the Founder of Glitch, the UK charity that helped drive national action on online abuse, where she served as CEO until 2025, leading its growth from a grassroots campaign to a nationally recognised organisation shaping policy and platform accountability. Her work spans trust and safety advisory roles, research on violence against women online, and policy engagement on platform governance and content moderation.
Internationally, Seyi has worked with parliamentarians, civil servants, technology companies, and grassroots campaigners to strengthen democratic participation in digital spaces. Through her work on digital citizenship, she supports institutions and communities to participate more safely, confidently, and meaningfully in online public life.