Verónica Arroyo

My story

I am a human with a curious mind, born and raised in the Andes of Peru — a beautiful country that taught me to appreciate the richness of diverse cultures. This upbringing sparked a lifelong interest in exploring the world beyond my city and understanding how it operates. It’s also what drove me to become fluent in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. My curiosity took on a new dimension when I encountered the world of digital technologies. I will always remember the moment I first understood how a firewall in China could filter content and the thrill of hearing a Google representative explain data processing for search engines during a Moot Court Competition. My brain sparked with excitement and inspiration.

Educational path

I earned my law degree from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, graduating with a thesis that evaluated three regulatory proposals aimed at balancing data protection and fostering competition in the digital platform market. I also have a Master in Public Policy in digital technology from Sciences Po, where I co-developed a privacy tool for the CNIL to protect the identity of individuals reporting sexual or gender harassment. Funny thing here, I ranked first in the Latin American Politics course among over 200 students. Moreover, I completed a Master on Global Affairs with a concentration in innovation at the University of Toronto. This program allowed me to conduct my first political science research, exploring epistemic communities in the debate on neurotechnology regulation. To complement my education, I also hold a Diploma on Internet Governance from the Universidad de San Andrés, a key diploma for anyone doing policy in Latin America.

Work experience

I have over eight years of experience in tech policy — though my interest in cybersecurity dates back to 2012!! My career began as a lawyer specializing in data protection, competition, and consumer law. I worked at law firms in Peru, advising major regional clients and gaining firsthand insights into how regulation impacts business development. Then, I transitioned to civil society. I worked for more than 4 years at Access Now doing tech policy for Latin America. Those years were filled with memorable campaigns, in-depth analysis, advocacy efforts, media engagements, lobby, and extensive travel. One of my most rewarding challenges was leading the organization’s global Digital ID program. Later, I joined the Citizen Lab to dive deep into political science research of biometric technology. Most recently, I had the opportunity to work for the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario on emerging technologies.

Fellowships and awards

In 2013, I received the Diplomacy Award at the Harvard World Model United Nations, an experience that sparked my passion for diplomacy and global issues. A few years later, In 2016, I was doubly honored, first as a Youth LACIGF fellow and then as a Youth@IGF fellow selected by the Internet Society to attend the Internet Governance Forum. Then, in 2017, I had the cool opportunity to be a judge for the Internet Society’s 25 Under 25 award. Continuing this trajectory, ICANN recognized my work in 2018, selecting me for its NextGen program, which afforded me the opportunity to attend the 62nd ICANN Policy Meeting.

Projects I’ve been involved

I was an active member of the Youth Observatory, now the Youth Standing Group of the Internet Society, from 2016 to 2021. I had the honor of serving as Vice Chair from January 2018 to January 2020, a period marked by significant growth as we expanded the regional Latin American group into a global network, welcoming over 1,000 new members. During that time, I also co-founded Embajadores de Internet, a meaningful project aimed at promoting digital literacy in universities. These days, I actively participate in Canadian IGF 2025 All-Hands Committee, and the Privacy Discussion Group at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society, but I’m eager to get involved in a new initiative — if you have an idea, feel free to reach out!

Why do I care about Privacy?

Privacy is a human right that faces the most crucial challenge in this era, and I think there are natural information asymmetries that do not allow us to see this clearly. (1) Information behaves like a public good, therefore economically speaking is difficult to exclude its widespread use and easy obtention, (2) We are social animals that like to share information to make us feel welcomed in the community, (3) Today more than ever it is easy to process big data, making it easier to get insights from it. This is the reality, and I believe that this asymmetry can be reduced by ensuring proportional regulation, trustful technologies, and accessible digital literacy programs.

The emerging technologies that interests me

These days, I am very into neurotechnologies. There is an ongoing regional debate in Latin America and an international one. Additionally, I am looking at AI agents and Quantum computing.