Eileen Donahoe tapped for State Dept. digital freedom envoy
Eileen Donahoe speaks at a panel discussion on disinformation and the 2020 presidential campaign. Paul Morigi/Getty Images
The former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council will work within the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy.
The Biden administration announced the appointment of Eileen Donahoe to serve as the State Department’s Special Envoy and Coordinator for Digital Freedom in the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy.
Formally the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Donahoe will work within the State Department to promote the adoption of values in technological governance.
“As special envoy and coordinator, Dr. Donahoe will leverage her deep technical knowledge and foreign policy experience to advance U.S. priorities around online freedoms, digital inclusion and information integrity,” the press announcement reads.
Prior to the new appointment, Donahoe served as executive director for the Global Digital Policy Incubator at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
Her appointment comes as the State Department works to facilitate bilateral, international collaborations with ally countries in both the innovation and advancement of new technologies — such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence — as well as to promote universal standards to facilitate trade and ethical usage.