Mariana Canto Sobral is a PhD Candidate in Law at the University of Stirling, UK, where she is part of the interdisciplinary cluster on Democracy, Human Rights and Communication/Advocacy in the Digital Age and is supervised by Dr. Damian Etone, Professor William Webster, Professor Rowan Cruft, and Dr Edit Freyo.

Her research focuses on the examination of the dynamics related to the international regulation of commercial spyware and their implications for human rights. By examining the intersections of regulatory shortcomings, stakeholders’ interests, and dominant narratives, her study aims to contribute to the development of more effective and equitable regulatory mechanisms.

Previously, Mariana was an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation's German Chancellor Fellow and member of the Politics of Digitalization Unit (POLDI) at WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Germany. She is also the Director of the Law and Technology Research Institute of Recife (IP.rec), Brazil.

Her work has been cited by prominent institutions such as the Council of Europe, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the Brazilian Supreme Court.

Contact Mariana here.