WebSci 26' Forum- Getting Involved in Technology Policy for Web Researchers

Summary

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Collocated with ACM Web Science Conference 2026, 26-29 May 2026, Braunschweig, Germany

We will host a half-day workshop dedicated to technology policy for web researchers. We are leaders of ACM’s Technology Policy work including the global Technology Policy Council (ACM TPC), the Europe Technology Policy Council (Europe-TPC), the US Technology Policy Council (US-TPC) and the Expanding Regions Technology Policy Council (Expand-TPC) which currently has subcommittees focused on India, Asia Pacific more widely, Latin America, Africa and Canada as well as being open to any ACM member working in technology policy anywhere in the world. We will share best practices and success stories from ACM’s technology policy efforts, as well as challenges we are facing. Workshop participants will gain a clear understanding of how they can become personally involved in the technology policy work of ACM.

CCS Concepts

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• Social and professional topics→Computing / technology policy; Government technology policy

Introduction

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Even the most accomplished researchers often express feeling out of their depth when it comes to translating the results of their work into effective impacts on technology policy. At the same time, most computing researchers see direct ways their work could be used to inform wiser government policy. The technology policy groups at ACM seek to be a “honest broker of technology information” by accurately representing what technology can and cannot do, a trusted voice advocating for responsible technology policy, and a rare voice that is not selling something or speaking from the perspective of a specific company. The technology policy groups at ACM serve both ACM members who look at the world around them and want to make a difference, and policymakers who are looking for solid technical advice.

Technology policy work requires a different set of practices and constraints than writing conference or journal publications. In this workshop, our goal is to lay out a clear roadmap for web researchers interested in exploring how to translate their research expertise into effective technology policy contributions. 

Workshop Agenda

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In this section, we propose an agenda for the workshop. The workshop is structured to combine shared experience with active participation. We begin by distilling key lessons learned from ACM’s technology policy work, focusing on how different policy groups operate in practice, what has proven effective, and where challenges remain. Building on these insights, the workshop then moves to
interactive sessions in which participants identify relevant policy issues for Web researchers, explore concrete ways to get involved, and define actionable next steps.

History and Current Structure of ACM

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More than presenting a historical overview, this part of the workshop distills key lessons learned from ACM’s technology policy work across regions, focusing on what has proven effective, what has not, and how these insights can guide new policy initiatives. Technology is at the heart of many of society's most pressing issues. Developed and deployed around the globe, new technologies – and our increasing reliance on computing and networks – raise concerns that stretch beyond national borders, going to the heart of how we live, work, and interact with one another. Drawing on a membership that includes industry pioneers and leading researchers at the forefront of technology, ACM provides expertise and advice to policymakers, the media, and the public in a nonpartisan, apolitical, and non-lobbying manner.

Organizers 

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Michel Beaudouin-Lafon is Professor of Computer Science at Université Paris-Saclay (France), member of the French Academy of Sciences, and ACM Fellow. He has worked in human-computer interaction for over 40 years and is a member of the ACM SIGCHI Academy. He has been active in ACM and SIGCHI for over 30 years, including serving on the ACM Council and the ACM Publications Board, and as vice-chair of the ACM Global Technology Policy Council. He is currently on the editorial boards of ACM Books and ACM TOCHI, and he is the chair of the ACM Europe Technology Policy Committee. 

 

 

 

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Virginia Dignum is Professor of Responsible AI at Umeå University, where she leads the AI Policy Lab. A global authority on AI governance, she chairs the ACM Technology Policy Council, advises theWallenberg Foundations and several national governments around the world, and serves on expert groups for a.o. UNESCO, OECD, the EU, the UN, and the World Economic Forum. She is a
fellow of EURAI and ELLIS and a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences. Her book The AI Paradox published by Princeton University Press, appears in February 2026.

 

 

 

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Eelco Herder is an Associate Professor in the Interaction Group at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. His research focuses on the fine balance between the benefits of personalization and perceived and actual risks. Particularly, he investigates the long-term effects of how users and current (commercial) recommender systems and related online platforms interact with one another, and which mechanisms help to encourage users to better engage in active decision-making. Since 2023, Eelco has served as Chair of ACM SIGWEB.

 

 

 

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Jeanna Matthews is a professor of computer science at Clarkson University and an affiliate at Data and Society. She has been a member of the ACM Council (2015-present), chair of the ACM Special Interest Group Governing Board ( 2016-2018), and chair of the ACM Special Interest Group on Operating Systems (SIGOPS)
from 2011 to 2015. Her current work focuses on securing societal decision-making processes and supporting the rights of individuals in a world of automation.