Lucy Purdon

Senior Fellow, Tech Policy

2023-2024

United Kingdom

Lucy Purdon was Policy Director at Privacy International, leading internal policy development across the organization. Lucy previously led the ICT Programme at The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), working on global corporate responsibility to respect privacy and freedom of expression in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Lucy has an MA in Human Rights from ICwS, University of London, and a BA (Hons) Film and Video from the London College of Communications.

Fellowship Project

Lucy researched how online advertising industries are thwarting women’s reproductive rights, examining how reproductive “milestones” (menstruation, conception, and menopause) are used for microtargeting advertisements. Her research explores how FemTech apps — apps used to track menstruation, pregnancy, and manage menopause symptoms — have led to the erosion of privacy. She conducted a survey of 1,000 women and FemTech users across the UK, as well as interviews with 40 FemTech industry practitioners across the globe. Lucy’s research culminated in policy recommendations, including widening regulatory policies to include investigations into the role of pixels and SDKs and for data containing medical reports to be categorized appropriately in app stores.