Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is to award an honorary doctorate to Meredith Whittaker, researcher and president of the Signal Foundation. Whittaker will receive the honorary doctorate in recognition of her important role in bringing the ethical land societal implications of AI to the forefront, and for her pioneering work in the field of privacy and digital rights. The honorary doctorate has been awarded on the recommendation of the Faculty of Science and will be conferred on 19 November 2026.
“Whittaker is a prominent advocate of individual rights and a leading voice in the critical debate surrounding the power of Big Tech. As a university that educates students to think independently and is committed to fostering independent thought and societal impact through its research, Whittaker’s work is a source of inspiration,” says Dean of the Faculty of Science, Aletta Kraneveld.
The honorary doctorate will be conferred by honorary supervisor Professor of Computer Science Stefan Schlobach on 19 November 2026, the 146th anniversary of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This celebration, known as the 'Dies Natalis', will focus on the challenges and complexities that a rapidly changing world presents for individual freedom, and on the role the university can play, through its expertise and insights, in safeguarding these freedoms and contributing to a better future.
At a time when we use digital platforms every day, both privately and professionally, the technology companies behind these platforms wield enormous power. These profit-driven tech giants collect personal data and use it to influence our behaviour and capture our attention. In doing so, the power of these companies affects not only our privacy, but also our individual freedom, autonomy and the foundations of our democracy.
Whittaker challenges the power of these 'Big Tech' companies, while also offering a non-profit alternative through Signal. With between 70 and 100 million active users each month, she demonstrates that it is possible to build a platform that puts users' privacy first, and that such a platform can even be competitive.
In addition to serving as President of Signal, Whittaker researches the social and economic impact of technology and raises awareness of the ethical and societal risks posed by artificial intelligence. She is also a co-founder of the AI Now Institute. Based at New York University, the research institute examines the social implications of artificial intelligence and the power of the technology industry.
Whittaker is also an advocate for equal rights in the workplace. She gained wider public recognition as one of the organisers of the Google Walkout in 2018, a large-scale protest against sexual harassment and gender inequality in the workplace. She worked at Google from 2006 to 2019.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam - Independent Thinkers
The academic theme for the 2026/2027 academic year is 'Independent Thinkers'. With this theme, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam highlights a key principle underpinning its education, research and societal impact: encouraging people to think independently, critically and from different perspectives. Independent thinking requires space for difference, dialogue and new insights. In this way, VU Amsterdam seeks to contribute to a healthy, sustainable and just society, guided by its mission of 'independent thinkers for people, society and the planet'.