Asma Vranaki

Asma is an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies. She investigates the links between law, society, and computer-mediated communication technologies, such as cyberspace, cloud computing, and social media by using a multi-disciplinary approach. Her research employs research methods and concepts from science and technology studies (in particular actor-network theory), socio-legal studies, regulation theories, internet studies, and cyber-regulatory theories. Through her work, she aims to provide a new way of understanding the regulation computer-mediated communication technologies.

Prior to joining the Centre, Asma was a post-doctoral researcher in cloud computing law at the Centre of Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London where she worked on the EC-funded ‘Accountability for Cloud’ project (‘A4 Cloud’). As part of her involvement with A4 Cloud, Asma conducted a qualitative socio-legal research project where she analysed the investigations of multinational cloud providers by European data protection authorities.

Asma received her DPhil in Law from the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies for a thesis entitled: ‘Rethinking Relations and Regimes of Power in Online Social Networking Sites: Tales of Control, Strife, and Negotiations in Facebook and YouTube (2013). Her doctoral research project was a qualitative socio-legal research project which explored the complex and multiple power effects generated in two social networking sites – Facebook and YouTube – when data protection and copyright were at stake.

Prior to undertaking her doctorate, Asma was called to the Bar of England and Wales and completed part of her pupilage at the top-tier commercial law set, Fountain Court Chambers. She was also called to the Bar of Mauritius and practiced as a commercial barrister in Mauritius. Her areas of expertise included technology, telecommunications, media, data protection and intellectual property law. Asma has taught law at various leading UK universities including the London School of Economics & Political Science, the University of Oxford, Queen Mary, and the City Law School.

In addition to her role at CSLS, Asma is a consultant to Preiskel & Co LLP, a leading City law firm in the fields of technology, media, and telecommunications (‘TMT’). She regularly provides strategic advice in various contentious and non-contentious TMT matters, such as, content liability and data protection. She is also a Research Associate at Queen Mary University of London.

Asma has read law at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has an LLM in Computer and Communications Law from Queen Mary, University of London. She completed the Bar Vocational Course at the City Law School. She is a member of the Society for Legal Scholars, the Socio-Legal Studies Association, the Law Society Association, and the Society for Computers & Law. She regularly tweets about all aspects of technology law.