Introducing AWO — a new data rights agency

AWO is a new data rights agency that provides legal, consultancy and public policy services to organizations and individuals to help them to navigate the complex new policy areas posed by emerging technologies.

Technology is remaking our world. Whether it is political parties profiling voters during elections; algorithms suggesting what we should view, buy or join online; data-driven predictive policing hardwiring discrimination; or phones being used to track coronavirus infection - its impact and influence is felt everywhere.

This rapid technological evolution raises accountability and regulatory challenges faster than society can comprehend or prepare for.

We are a group of lawyers, policy experts, technology analysts and applied ethicists who advise and assist a broad range of clients on what to do with data – from policy design to regulatory compliance, data management to private litigation and enforcement.

We help international organizations, governments, businesses, universities, think-tanks, not-for-profits and individuals to navigate complexity and find ethical, practical solutions to data rights challenges.

We do this because we believe that the use of technology and data should be rooted in recognition of and respect for fundamental rights, ethical norms and the rule of law. We help organizations improve the way they protect data – and the people it concerns – and enforce fundamental rights protections through client-led litigation.

We’ve worked with the UN, EU, and ICRC, and on agenda-setting cases such as the successful prosecution of Cambridge Analytica and leading claims against Google’s data practices. This is just the beginning. As individuals become more aware of their rights, society becomes more aware of technology’s impact and data controllers become more aware of their obligations, new spaces for regulation and accountability and better ways of using technology will inevitably emerge.

We are grateful for founding support from Luminate which shares our vision of a richer data rights ecosystem. We are excited to be entering this space as the first data rights agency offering public policy advice, compliance services and litigation in one place. AWO hopes to help push the boundaries of responsible data use and shape, apply, and enforce data rights around the world.