Hi! I'm Meira, a PhD Student at the University of Washington's Information School where I'm advised by Dr. Lindah Kotut.
My research area is in digital privacy, and I'm currently focused on how technology -- particularly social media and other networked platforms -- poses privacy risks or fosters new forms of interpersonal surveillance. I'm focused on questions such as:
To address the first question, I use qualitative HCI methods to analyze user behaviors, perceptions, and reactions to digital surveillance practices. To address the second, I rely on work from usable privacy & security to conduct risk assessments of these technologies, and surveillance studies to critically address how these practices engage with identity and power. Ultimately, I am motivated by a desire for privacy, safety, and autonomy for all users.
Before starting my PhD, I was a privacy program manager at Meta. I recieved my Bachelor's in Information Science from Cornell University.
When I'm not researching privacy, I love to 📖 read, 🏕️ spend time outside, and hang out with my two adorable cats 🐈⬛ 🐈⬛ .
September 2026: Concluded an amazing summer research internship at NYU's Center for Cybersecurity, advised by Rosanna Bellini
June 2026: Presented at the Suveillance Studies Network Conference in Lille, France on ``Private-Public Partnerships, Datafication, and the U.S. Carceral State,’’ with Yael, Kentrell, and Melissa!
May 2026: I passed the Information School's qualifying exam to recieve my M.S. in Information Science and advance to candidacy!
May 2026: I was interviewed with Yael and Anna for an article in MIT Technology Review about LLMs and information leakage
October 2025: Honored that "TikTok, Do Your Thing" is a finalist in NYU's CSAW Applied Research Competition! I'll be presenting in the poster session in New York this November.
August 2025: Presented "TikTok, Do Your Thing" at SOUPS 2025 in Seattle!
July 2025: "Easy Come, Easy Go: Phone Enabled Small-Scale Financial Grift," with Amelia Dogan and Lindah Kotut, was published to ACM COMPASS
May 2025: "TikTok, Do Your Thing": User Reactions to Social Surveillance in the Public Sphere, with Miranda Wei and Lindah Kotut, was accepted to the SOUPS 2025 conference!
September 2024: Move to Seattle to start my PhD at UW!