The Global Network Initiative (GNI) is pleased to announce that former UN Special Rapporteur on the Freedom of Opinion and Expression David Kaye, who until August 2024 served as the Independent Chair of GNI’s Board, will continue to support our work as a member of GNI’s Academic Constituency. Kaye is currently a clinical Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine.
“GNI has long represented a unique and critical space for engagement among civil society, companies, investors and academics. As a former Independent Board Chair, I was able to see not only its culture of openness and problem-solving but also how it exercises influence globally. I could not be more excited to join as an academic member,” Kaye reflected.
Kaye’s chairship oversaw important developments within GNI, including the expansion and diversification of our membership, the third internal strategic review, as well as the fourth – and at the time, the largest – independent assessment cycle for GNI’s company members. Just a few months into Kaye’s term, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and GNI transitioned temporarily to a completely virtual organization. Kaye’s leadership was critical during this period of pandemic isolation as GNI adapted to the needs of the moment and worked to effectively respond to the challenges that the pandemic underscored, including the impacts of digital divides. Kaye’s relationship with GNI is longstanding, and his new membership will continue to strengthen GNI’s core commitment to protect and advance freedom of expression and privacy in the technology sector.
In response, GNI’s Executive Director Jason Pielemeier said, “I feel comfortable speaking on behalf of all of GNI’s members as I welcome David Kaye into our academic constituency and membership. From his pioneering work as UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, through to his leadership of GNI through the pandemic and our strategic review as Chair, David has done so much to influence GNI and the broader field of human rights. We are thrilled to be able to continue to count on his expertise and guidance in his new capacity as an independent academic member.”