Pat de Brún (he/him)

PhD Candidate @ SOAS and Deputy Director @ Amnesty Tech (on sabbatical)

London, England, United Kingdom

About

I have over a decade of experience as a human rights researcher, advocate, and legal adviser, with expertise in technology and human rights, LGBTIQ rights, and mainland Southeast Asia (specifically Cambodia, Viet Nam & Thailand). I am a qualified attorney-at-law (New York) and hold a master's in law (human rights, conflict and justice) from SOAS University of London. This year (2025-2026), I am undertaking full-time research in Cambodia as part of my PhD, also at SOAS. I am currently on sabbatical from my role as head of Amnesty International's Big Tech Accountability Team. In that role, my team works closely with affected communities to expose and challenge human rights abuses that are caused or contributed to by Big Tech companies like Meta and Google - ranging from disinformation to genocide. We engage in research investigations, strategic litigation, campaigning and policy advocacy aimed at ensuring that technology helps - not hinders - our human rights.

Experience

  • Visiting Fellow at UCD Centre for Digital Policy
    Apr 2026 - Present · 3 mos

  • Amnesty International (Full-time · 6 yrs 10 mos)
    • Head of Big Tech Accountability & Deputy Director, Amnesty Tech
      Jan 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 6 mos

      As the head of Amnesty International's Big Tech Accountability Team, I lead Amnesty's work on Big Tech & platform accountability. Our team works closely with affected communities to expose and challenge human rights abuses that are caused or contributed to by Big Tech companies like Meta and Google - ranging from disinformation to genocide. We engage in research investigations, strategic litigation, campaigning and policy advocacy aimed at ensuring that technology helps - not hinders - our human rights. Learn more about our work here: amnesty.tech

    • Researcher / Adviser - Technology and Human Rights
      Dec 2021 - Jan 2023 · 1 yr 2 mos

    • Regional Researcher
      Sep 2019 - Dec 2021 · 2 yrs 4 mos

  • Student - LLM Human Rights, Conflict and Justice at SOAS University of London
    Sep 2018 - Sep 2019 · 1 yr 1 mo

  • Legal Consultant at Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)
    Jul 2015 - Sep 2018 · 3 yrs 3 mos

    As a legal consultant, I provided legal advice, conducted human rights monitoring, research and investigations, and advocacy in following areas: - Freedoms of Expression, Assembly & Association - Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity - Digital Rights - Business and Human Rights My primary responsibilities included: planning, designing, and conducting human rights research projects in the Cambodian context; reporting on human rights issues; researching international human rights law & Cambodian domestic law; conducting advocacy with national and international institutions and actors; donor engagement; working in collaboration with other NGOs, INGOs, governmental bodies, and international institutions; media engagement (issuing press releases, media comments, etc.); and organising ad hoc conferences and advocacy initiatives.

  • Lecturer in Law at Royal University of Law and Economics
    Nov 2015 - May 2016 · 7 mos

    Lecturer of Human Rights Law in the English-language Masters in International Law programme. Independent design and delivery of a 16-week curriculum in human rights law, focusing on business and human rights.