Heather Burns

We are people of enormous power and influence over the web. I empower digital professionals to use that power wisely. As a tech policy and regulation specialist, I educate the profession on the policy issues which impact our work, inspire professionals to participate constructively in the regulatory process, and facilitate cooperation between policymakers and digital leaders. Hire me to write, speak, or consult.

Because I always look impressive in blockquotes

Last week I was interviewed by Samuel Stolton at EURACTIV for his weekly Digital Brexit bulletin. We discussed where UK tech policy is currently standing as we prepare to leave the UK (whenever that is).

Read moreBecause I always look impressive in blockquotes

About that WordPress autoupdates thing.

There was a call for comments ahead of this weekend’s scheduled panel discussion at WCUS on the autoupdates plan. I’ve been asked to respond to it from my perspective, so I will.

Read moreAbout that WordPress autoupdates thing.

The Online Harms framework just got a lot darker

Something distressing happened this week in the Commons chamber, and the Prime Minister wasn’t even there.

Read moreThe Online Harms framework just got a lot darker

What you need to know about a No Deal Brexit

I didn’t think we’d be here, but here we are. In my capacity as a Policy Fellow at COADEC, the tech policy body for the UK’s tech startups, I have written a plain-English guide for tech and digital businesses to use to prepare for a No Deal Brexit. While the guidance is aimed at startups and scaleups, the advice is applicable to all tech businesses regardless of where they are on their journey.

Read moreWhat you need to know about a No Deal Brexit

So You’re Acquiring a Privacy-Invasive Social Network!

In the midst of the buzz about Automattic acquiring Tumblr, some of us took pains to point out that we literally can’t see anything on Tumblr blogs, nor would we want to – not at the cost of playing Verizon/Oath’s privacy head games.

Read moreSo You’re Acquiring a Privacy-Invasive Social Network!

A Glaswegian and a Norwegian walk into a trolley problem

Writing for the web is part of the job, but writing for something you can hold in your hands is special. This one definitely hits the target.

The first ever print issue of Smashing Magazine is shipping worldwide any day now. A deep dive into privacy and ethics, it includes a provocation piece Morten Rand-Hendriksen and I wrote on ethics washing.

Read moreA Glaswegian and a Norwegian walk into a trolley problem

Just how bad is the ICO’s draft age appropriate design code?

"Careless laws cost liberties", and the age appropriate design code will ensure that young people never have any to begin with.

Last month I worked with Coadec, the policy voice of Britain’s tech startups, to lead on the formulation of their response to the ICO’s draft age appropriate design code. I wrote this draft document as a roadmap for the work, although what follows here are very much my own personal thoughts, not Coadec’s.

Read moreJust how bad is the ICO’s draft age appropriate design code?

What I learned in the Mozilla Open Leaders initiative

Mozilla logo

This week wraps up my training in the Mozilla Open Leaders initiative. It’s been an amazing, very intense 14 weeks of learning, all in support of the team in the cross-project CMS privacy group.

Read moreWhat I learned in the Mozilla Open Leaders initiative

Castles and unicorns: my legacy to the WordPress community

One of my proudest professional achievements was selecting and wrangling speakers for three years of WordCamp Edinburgh. Over the past week, videos of 2017’s talks and most of 2018’s talks have been posted at wordpress.tv.

Read moreCastles and unicorns: my legacy to the WordPress community

The elephant in the room

I run a workshop for developers and digital leaders on how to build privacy into projects on the governance, project, and code levels. I was meant to return to PHP Yorkshire this weekend to run it as a half-day course. I’ll be staying home instead.

Read moreThe elephant in the room