Eline Leijten is a lecturer and researcher in internet law at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department Transnational Legal Studies (Amsterdam Law & Technology Institute). In her research, Eline focuses on the operationalisation of the transparency principle in the regulation of digital technologies, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Digital Services Act (DSA) and Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). Eline assesses to what extent the current conceptualisation of the transparency principle serves as a stepping stone towards accountability of duty-bearers to rights-holders.
Eline graduated cum laude from the Erasmus School of Law (Labour Law, 2012), the Erasmus School of Economics (Financial Economics, 2012) as well as Leiden Law School (Law & Digital Technologies, 2022). She was class valedictorian in both law masters she completed. Prior to entering academia, Eline worked as a strategy consultant and subsequently became a technology entrepreneur. She founded the live music booking platform Plugify in 2016. As an entrepreneur, Eline has won various awards, including the TedxAmsterdamWomen Startup Award (2016) and the National Dutch Pitch Championship (2017). She has moreover been politically active, a.o. as part of the General Election Programme Committee of social liberal party D66 in 2020, and serves as a board member of several foundations. Eline’s contribution to the public debate in the Netherlands on the protection of children’s right to privacy and data protection in the context of education technology (EdTech) gave rise to parliamentary questions in 2022.
Building on this broad experience, Eline’s scholarship is informed by a thorough comprehension of the economic and practical implications of regulations governing digital technologies. Her multidisciplinary background moreover has fostered a keen research interest in the impact of regulation on digital innovation. In her work, Eline critically examines the balancing act conducted by the EU legislator between safeguarding the exercise of fundamental rights in the digital environment and fueling innovation to enhance the Union’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.
