Title: Regulating Freedom of Expression in the Age of Social Media
Expected Completion Date: 2024
PhD Supervisor: Andrew Clapham
Stefania Di Stefano is a PhD Researcher in International Law at the Geneva Graduate Institute and Project Officer for the Geneva Human Rights Platform at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. She holds a master's degree in International Law from the Graduate Institute (2018) and an LLB (Hons) in Law and European Legal Studies from the University of Southampton (2016). In 2019, she was awarded the Diploma in Human Rights Law by the European University Institute.
Stefania served as Teaching Assistant (in 2020) and as Programme Manager (2021-2022) for the LL.M. in International Law at the Graduate Institute. In 2021, she was also a Consultant for the Mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. From 2020 to 2021, she was a Research Associate for the project ‘The Co-Evolution of Facebook’s Content Policies and International Instruments on Freedom of Expression’ at the University of Leeds. She previously worked as Project Assistant for the Geneva Human Rights Platform, which is hosted by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, and, prior to that, Stefania was Junior Pro Bono Coordinator for the Emerging Enterprises Pro Bono Program at Sidley Austin LLP in Geneva. She has also been an intern at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in the Human Rights, Economic and Social Issues Section.
Her research interests include international human rights law, business and human rights, human rights in the digital age, corporate responsibility, and the rights to freedom of expression and access to information.
Teaching Experience
Research Experience
International Human Rights Law
Business and Human Rights
Human Rights in the Digital Age
Corporate Responsibility
Rights to Freedom of Expression and Access to Information
1. Is Facebook Keeping Up with International Standards on Freedom of Expression? A Time-Series Analysis 2005-2020”, co-authored with Konstantinos Stylianou and Nicolo Zingales, Project funded by Facebook Research, (2022
2. “The Facebook Oversight Board and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: A Missed Opportunity for Alignment?” in Frédéric Bernard & Jonathan Andrew (eds.) ‘Human Rights Responsibilities in the Digital Age – States, Companies and Individuals' – Hart Publishing, Oxford (2021), 93-116
3. “Facebook’s new recipe: too much optimism, not enough human rights”, OpenGlobalRights (2020)
4. “State behaviour in cyberspace: a new challenge for the international community”, DiploFoundation (2018), co-authored with Francesca Casalini
5. “State behaviour in cyberspace: moving away from a military discourse”, DiploFoundation (2018) co-authored with Francesca Casalini
6. “A ‘Digital’ Geneva Convention to Protect Cyberspace? Evaluating the prospects for and content of a Convention on Cybersecurity”, TradeLab (2018), co-authored with Francesca Casalini and Fabiola Rosi
Consultant, Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva
Project Assistant, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
Intern, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva
Junior Pro Bono Coordinator, Sidley Austin LLP, Geneva
(2019) Diploma in Human Rights Law by the European University Institute