Dr. John Albert

Biography

John Albert is an Associate Researcher at the Institute for Information Law (IViR), University of Amsterdam. He contributes to the Digital Services Act (DSA) Observatory, which serves as an independent hub for scholarly input and expert discussions on landmark legislation. His research focuses on the practical application of the DSA's risk-based approach to platform governance and its impacts on fundamental rights and democratic discourse. Previously, John worked at AlgorithmWatch, a nonprofit watchdog based in Berlin and Zurich, where he advocated for civil society perspectives in public debates about the DSA's framework for platform accountability and risk oversight. He was also a research fellow at the Hertie School's Centre for Digital Governance and earned his master's degree in public policy in 2021. John holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, graduating in 2014. Early in his career, he worked as a video journalist in McClatchy's Wichita newsroom, where he covered the 2016 U.S. presidential election and witnessed the hostile effects of political polarization. This experience led him to produce branded content during the news industry's transition towards 'pivot to video', giving him insight into how the platform economy has impacted the news business. These formative experiences have prompted him to explore the intersections of media power, technology, and governance, connecting to his current work on European platform regulation.

Research Interests