Facebook India Appoints Sunil Abraham as Public Policy Director for Data and Emerging Tech

Facebook India has announced the appointment of Sunil Abraham as the company’s Public Policy, Director for Data and Emerging Tech. Abraham will shape Facebook’s stance on tech policy issues in India. During his tenure, Abraham will be responsible for building partnerships and engagements with stakeholders in the public policy area of data privacy, consumer protection, and AI led innovation for new products and services, and will report to the Public Policy Director for Facebook India, Ankhi Das.

Abraham will also contribute to Facebook India’s policy development initiatives and proceedings in India and the South Asian region on data protection, privacy, and will represent Facebook’s position in these areas. A former Data protection activist, Abraham has almost 25 years of experience in Indian and global civil societies. In 1998, he co-founded Mahiti Infotech, an open technology service provider for the nonprofit sector and in 2008. Abraham has also co-founded the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), a policy and academic research organisation focusing on accessibility, openness. access to knowledge, internet governance, digital humanities, and telecom regulation.

Abraham has long been an advocate of the free/open source software and was a part of the Wikimedia movement starting in 2004 when he co-managed the International Open Source Network for UNDP. Most recently he spent a year as Endowed Professor at ArtEZ University for the Arts in the Netherlands.

Ankhi Das, Public Policy Director, Facebook -India, South and Central Asia said, “Sunil’s experience in the field of technology policy and his vast research on data reforms are an ideal fit for Facebook. We are thrilled to have Sunil in our team as he brings deep industry and civil society knowledge and understanding. With his expertise and experience, he will help us in our mission to build transparency, accountability and empowered communities.”

Abraham’s appointment comes just two months after Facebook India’s Public Policy team was surrounded in controversy after a Wall Street Journal report said that the company’s Public Policy Head Ankhi Das did not implement the company’s hate speech policy on posts from a BJP lawmaker.

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