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Friend,
I'm excited to welcome Darío Maestro as the new Legal Director at the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.)!
Darío joins S.T.O.P. at a pivotal moment. Governments and corporations are accelerating the deployment of AI-powered surveillance, and the federal government’s recent expansion of surveillance tools has only increased the urgency. As these systems grow more powerful and less transparent, so do the risks they pose to civil liberties, democratic participation, and marginalized communities.
As Legal Director, Darío leads S.T.O.P.’s litigation and legislative advocacy to meet this moment head-on: challenging government searches of electronic devices, the compilation of personal data in watchlists and databases, algorithmic bias and discrimination, and threats to the security and privacy of online communications.
Darío will direct S.T.O.P.’s legal strategy around cutting-edge issues at the intersection of surveillance, technology, and civil rights, including complex litigation, public records requests, and regulatory matters. He oversees the organization’s work on data protection, consumer privacy, online safety, and AI accountability, and regularly publishes on emerging privacy laws and policies, children’s online safety, and government regulation of digital communications.
Darío previously served as S.T.O.P.’s Senior Legal Fellow and has worked as a litigator with international law firms, representing clients in public international law and complex commercial disputes. In his pro bono work, he represented tenants in housing discrimination actions and argued genocide claims before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. He holds an LL.M. from the University of Michigan Law School and a dual LL.B/B.A. in Law and Political Science from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
S.T.O.P. is growing its capacity to confront unchecked surveillance, and Darío’s leadership and technology expertise strengthens our ability to move faster, litigate harder, and demand real accountability as these systems reshape everyday life across the country. We’re thrilled to have him on the team, and grateful to our community for continuing to power this work.
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