---
layout: default
title: "Facebook India Appoints Sunil Abraham as Public Policy Director for Data and Emerging Tech"
description: "A News18 report announcing Sunil Abraham's appointment as Facebook India's Public Policy Director for Data and Emerging Tech, detailing his role, background, and the context of his hiring."
categories: [Media mentions]
date: 2020-10-12
source: "News18"
permalink: /media/facebook-india-appoints-sunil-abraham-news18/
created: 2026-01-29
---

**Facebook India Appoints Sunil Abraham as Public Policy Director for Data and Emerging Tech** is a *News18* article published on 12 October 2020, announcing Sunil's appointment to lead Facebook's data and emerging technology policy efforts in India. The article highlights his responsibilities in shaping tech policy, building stakeholder partnerships, and representing Facebook's position on data protection and privacy, whilst also referencing his extensive background in civil society and technology policy advocacy.

## Contents

1. [Article Details](#article-details)  
2. [Full Text](#full-text)  
3. [Context and Background](#context-and-background)  
4. [External Link](#external-link)

## Article Details

<dl class="media-details">
  <dt>📰 Published in:</dt>
  <dd><em>News18</em></dd>

  <dt>📅 Date:</dt>
  <dd>12 October 2020</dd>

  <dt>📄 Type:</dt>
  <dd>News Report</dd>

  <dt>🕐 Last Updated:</dt>
  <dd>12 October 2020</dd>

  <dt>📰 Newspaper Link:</dt>
  <dd>
    <a class="btn" href="https://www.news18.com/news/tech/facebook-india-appoints-sunil-abraham-as-public-policy-director-for-data-and-emerging-tech-2953910.html">
      Read Online
    </a>
  </dd>
</dl>

## Full Text

<div class="highlighted-text" id="fulltext">

<p>Facebook India has announced the appointment of Sunil Abraham as the company's Public Policy, Director for Data and Emerging Tech. Abraham will shape Facebook's stance on tech policy issues in India. During his tenure, Abraham will be responsible for building partnerships and engagements with stakeholders in the public policy area of data privacy, consumer protection, and AI led innovation for new products and services, and will report to the Public Policy Director for Facebook India, Ankhi Das.</p>

<p>Abraham will also contribute to Facebook India's policy development initiatives and proceedings in India and the South Asian region on data protection, privacy, and will represent Facebook's position in these areas. A former Data protection activist, Abraham has almost 25 years of experience in Indian and global civil societies. In 1998, he co-founded Mahiti Infotech, an open technology service provider for the nonprofit sector, and in 2008, Abraham has also co-founded the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), a policy and academic research organisation focusing on accessibility, openness, access to knowledge, internet governance, digital humanities, and telecom regulation.</p>

<p>Abraham has long been an advocate of the free/open source software and was a part of the Wikimedia movement starting in 2004 when he co-managed the International Open Source Network for UNDP. Most recently he spent a year as Endowed Professor at ArtEZ University for the Arts in the Netherlands.</p>

<p>Ankhi Das, Public Policy Director, Facebook India, South and Central Asia said, "Sunil's experience in the field of technology policy and his vast research on data reforms are an ideal fit for Facebook. We are thrilled to have Sunil in our team as he brings deep industry and civil society knowledge and understanding. With his expertise and experience, he will help us in our mission to build transparency, accountability and empowered communities."</p>

<p>Abraham's appointment comes just two months after Facebook India's Public Policy team was surrounded in controversy after a Wall Street Journal report said that the company's Public Policy Head Ankhi Das did not implement the company's hate speech policy on posts from a BJP lawmaker.</p>

</div>

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## Context and Background

This *News18* report coincided with heightened scrutiny of Facebook's content moderation practices and public policy decisions in India. Abraham's appointment was positioned as a strategic move to strengthen Facebook's policy expertise in critical areas such as data privacy, consumer protection, and artificial intelligence. His nearly 25 years of experience in civil society, combined with his co-founding of the Centre for Internet and Society and Mahiti Infotech, brought credibility to Facebook's public policy function at a time when the company faced controversies over its handling of hate speech and political content. The article explicitly notes the recent Wall Street Journal report regarding Ankhi Das's role in content moderation decisions, providing important context for understanding the timing and significance of this appointment.

## External Link

- [Read on News18](https://www.news18.com/news/tech/facebook-india-appoints-sunil-abraham-as-public-policy-director-for-data-and-emerging-tech-2953910.html)  

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