Damian Collins

Damian Collins OBE is a former Member of Parliament, author, and leading voice on digital regulation and technology accountability. He served as MP for Folkestone and Hythe from 2010 to 2024 and chaired the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee, where he led groundbreaking parliamentary investigations into disinformation, fake news, and social media's impact on democracy. His work challenging Facebook's data privacy violations and advocating for tech platform accountability positioned him at the forefront of global digital reform. Damian equips organisations with essential insights into navigating the complex intersection of technology, governance, and public trust, empowering leaders to respond effectively to the challenges of the digital age.

When Facebook executives were summoned to Westminster in 2019, they faced accusations of deliberately violating data privacy laws in a damning parliamentary report authored by Damian Collins. As Chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee from 2016 to 2020, he led the UK's groundbreaking investigation into disinformation and fake news, challenging the platform-neutrality status that had long shielded technology companies from accountability. His work established a clear regulatory framework: once notified of dangerous content, tech platforms would bear direct responsibility for removing it. This principle helped shape digital policy debates worldwide and positioned Collins at the forefront of efforts to protect democracy in the age of social media. Serving as MP for Folkestone and Hythe from 2010 to 2024, he later took on the role of Minister for Tech and Digital Economy and chaired the Joint Committee on the Online Safety Bill in 2021, cementing his influence on the legislative landscape governing online spaces.

Collins built his parliamentary career on tackling complex issues at the intersection of culture, sport, and technology. His select committee inquiries spanned doping in sport, football governance, homophobia in athletics, and the impact of Brexit on creative industries and tourism. Beyond Westminster, he co-founded New FIFA Now in 2015, campaigning for independent reform and financial transparency at football's governing body following corruption allegations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he advocated for a Football Finance Authority to address the precarious financial position of English Football League clubs. His earlier government roles included serving as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and to Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers during the Coalition years. Collins has also contributed essays on political figures including David Lloyd George, Theodore Roosevelt, and King Edward VIII to Iain Dale's biographical series, whilst chairing the Conservative Arts and Creative Industries Network.

Audiences benefit from Collins's rare combination of frontline political experience and deep expertise in digital regulation. His speaking engagements equip organisations with practical strategies for navigating technology governance, understanding platform accountability, and responding to misinformation in an era where public trust hangs in the balance. Drawing on real legislative battles and policy victories, he helps leaders grasp the evolving responsibilities of tech companies and the regulatory frameworks shaping their industries. Collins also authored Charmed Life, a biography of politician Philip Sassoon published by HarperCollins in 2016, and Rivals in the Storm, his 2024 biography of David Lloyd George published by Bloomsbury. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Times, the Daily Telegraph, and Newsweek, demonstrating his ability to translate complex policy into accessible insight that drives meaningful action and lasting organisational change.