My name is Heather Burns and I am a tech policy and regulation specialist. I advocate for an open web built around international standards of human rights, privacy, accessibility, and freedom of expression.
Since October 2020 I’ve been employed full-time by Open Rights Group, though this is very much my personal site, and one which does not reflect the opinions of my employer. The site will remain up as an archive of my past work, and as a home for the occasional personal blog post.
Current side projects
- afterbrexit.tech – side blog on EU-derived internet regulation throughout the Brexit process
- Understanding Privacy – my book, pandemically delayed, which turned out to be a good thing
- UNICEF global working group on developing a manifesto on children’s data governance
Current interests
- Intermediary liability, particularly in an international context
- Privacy privilege in law and academia
- Ethics washing, as is apparent in the post-Brexit legislative context
- Legal endogeneity, e.g. when the interpretation of internet legislation drafted without practicioner involvement is, nevertheless, delegated to them

In August 2018 I was flattered to be named as Smashing Magazine’s Person of the Week for my work on GDPR and privacy. Photo taken by some Geordie in a Belgrade dive bar run by two refugees from Reading ’94.
Past work
- 2015 – 2020: Freelance tech policy and regulation specialist for clients across the startup, digital rights, privacy, digital agency, and games sectors
- 2007 – 2015: Full-time web designer and developer
- 2000 – 2005: Worked in international relations and community development
Past side projects
- WP Core-Privacy team
- WP 4.9.6 GDPR and privacy tool suite
- Cross-project open source privacy coalition
- Mozilla Open Leaders programme
Contact information
Location: Glasgow, Scotland, Europe
Email: contact at webdevlaw.uk
Social: LinkedIn // Twitter: @webdevlaw // Github repo //
Zuckervegan (I’m not on FB, IG, or WhatsApp)
Work: Open Rights Group
Listed on Brookings Tech Policy Sourcelist
Portrait photography © Julie Broadfoot – www.juliebee.co.uk