Dr Will Mbioh

Dr Will Mbioh's scholarship lies at the intersection of law, technology, and social justice. Their research critically examines the profound social, emotional, and psychological impacts of data processing and surveillance practices within social media, content moderation, and state security contexts. Dr. Mbioh investigates how regulatory frameworks interact with issues like affective violence, labour exploitation, the erosion of user well-being, and fundamental rights.  

Dr. Mbioh's interdisciplinary approach integrates affect theory, sociology, post-colonial theory, and science and technology studies. This fuels the development of novel analytical frameworks designed to question and reimagine legal principles for the digital age.

Dr. Mbioh's work offers expertise for those seeking to:

• Understand and mitigate the mental health impact of social media use.
• Develop ethical and human-centered AI regulations.
• Address power imbalances and labour exploitation in digital content moderation.
• Promote social justice and equity in technological design, surveillance practices, and regulation.
• Redefine data protection laws to prioritise user well-being and address psychological harms.

• European Union Law (Module Convenor)
• Regulation of Platform/Surveillance Capitalism (Examines algorithmic decision-making, psychological impacts of data use, and ethical governance of digital platforms)
• Public law
• Equity and Trusts

Dr. Mbioh welcomes PhD proposals exploring the legal, social, and ethical dimensions of technology and data governance. Potential areas of supervision include:

• Law and Regulation
• The evolution of data protection law in response to social media and emerging technologies
• Comparative approaches to regulating AI and algorithmic decision-making
• National security law, surveillance, and fundamental rights
• Regulatory enforcement strategies within digital environments
• Socio-Legal Perspectives
• Psychological and mental health impacts of social media and user-engagement design
• Digital labour, content moderation, and power asymmetries in online spaces
• Intersectional analyses of race, gender, and other identities in the context of technology
• Affect theory and its application to data regulation and privacy law

Dr. Mbioh particularly encourages research proposals that take interdisciplinary approaches and actively engage with questions of social justice.