About
Dr Anri van der Spuy is a Visiting Fellow at FLIA, LSE. Her research focuses on digital policy, governance, and development in Africa, with particular attention to socio-digital inequality, digital identity, data governance, and the risks of AI and emerging technologies for underserved populations in low- and middle-income countries.
Anri works as an independent consultant in digital policy and governance. Her current engagements include serving as a Digital Policy Advisor to the DataCipation Programme — a joint AU Commission–German Government initiative on digital transformation and data governance across Africa. She previously managed Research ICT Africa's Africa Digital Policy Project and remains a Senior Associate there. Her earlier work includes research and advisory roles at the Internet Society, the UN Internet Governance Forum, UNCTAD, UNESCO, and the 5Rights Foundation / Digital Futures for Children (LSE).
Anri holds a PhD in Data, Networks and Society from LSE, supervised by Profs Robin Mansell and Ellen Helsper, and an MSc in Media and Communications Governance (with Distinction), also from LSE. She is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa.
Selected Publications
- Van der Spuy, A., Karunda, D. & Orr, D. (forthcoming). From Norms to Governance: Negotiating Data Governance in Africa through the AU Data Policy Framework. Working paper.
- Van der Spuy, A., Fuller, J., Gillwald, A. & Sey, A. (2024). Debugging Development: A Risk Framework for Developmental Digital Interventions. Research ICT Africa.
- Van der Spuy, A. (2023). Unveiling digital development risks. PhD thesis, LSE.
- Van der Spuy, A. et al. (2021). Towards the Evaluation of Socio-Digital ID Ecosystems in Africa. Research ICT Africa.
- Souter, D. & Van der Spuy, A. (2019). UNESCO Internet Universality Indicators. UNESCO.
Research Interests
Digital policy and governance; digital inclusion; digital identity; data governance; AI and technology risks in development contexts; internet governance.
Regions of focus
Africa and the Global South
Areas of Expertise
Digital policy and regulation; digital inclusion; digital identity ecosystems; data governance; AI risk in development; internet governance; multistakeholder policy processes.