Hello! I’m Irene.
I study how emerging digital technologies are transforming the ways in which state and non-state actors contest power and shape information in an increasingly interconnected world.
I am a Senior Researcher at The Citizen Lab, an interdisciplinary research lab focused on digital technology and human rights, based at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto. I lead research on information controls (e.g., censorship and surveillance) and digital governance, focusing on their impact on democracy and civil liberties, while managing collaborative research initiatives with partners across the Global South. My research interests include the politics of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital regulation, surveillance technologies and gendered digital attacks, the rise of AI-enabled disinformation and repression, and the geopolitical implications of platform regulation and data sovereignty. Read more about my research.
I hold a PhD in Political Science from the University of Toronto, with a specialisation in Comparative Politics and Public Policy. I obtained my Master’s degree in Political Science and Asia Pacific Studies from the University of Toronto, and Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of British Columbia (UBC).
My doctoral project investigates why some states impose more restrictive online information controls than others, focusing on Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines by combining over 50 interviews, original internet measurement data, and legal analysis. Much of the existing research treats information controls as primarily technical or reactive. However, my research demonstrates that, contrary to this view, variation in information controls is shaped by underlying institutional arrangements and the configuration of digital infrastructure. This work contributes to comparative politics by advancing the understanding of state capacity in the digital age.
I have taught undergraduate and graduate students across 9 courses at the Department of Political Science, the Asian Institute, and the Munk School at the University of Toronto. Courses I have independently created and taught include Democracy in the Age of Digital Authoritarianism, Digital Technologies and Human Rights and Asia’s Digital Futures. I have also coordinated large introductory courses as Head Teaching Assistant, supporting enrolments exceeding 1,000 students and managing large teaching teams of up to 18 PhD teaching assistants.
A passionate educator and mentor, I ground my teaching in student-centred, accessible, and inclusive pedagogy. My curriculum design connects core concepts in Political Science with real-world challenges, preparing students to become informed digital citizens and future advocates. Read more about my courses.
Previously, I worked for Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) Human Security Report Project, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), and UBC’s Centre for Southeast Asia Research at the Institute of Asian Research. I was also an intern at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR) Southeast Asia Regional Office in Bangkok, Thailand.
I was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, and currently reside in Toronto, Canada. I am a native speaker of Bahasa Indonesia and fluent in English. I have prior experience with R, and I am learning Python for data science.
I am currently accepting new consulting engagements. You can contact me to discuss potential collaborations. I welcome the opportunity to support relevant research, policy, or advocacy goals.