Facebook has hired Roy Austin to become its first-ever VP of Civil Rights and Deputy General Counsel to create a new civil rights organization within the company,
Facebook announced today. Austin is set to start on January 19 and will be based in Washington, DC.
Austin most recently served as a civil rights lawyer at Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP. Prior to that, Austin co-authored a report on big data and civil rights and worked with President Barack Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.
“I am excited to join Facebook at this moment when there is a national and global awakening happening around civil rights,” Austin said in a statement.
