September 12, 2023 – The Institute for Security and Technology announced today the addition of Nile Johnson as the Senior Director for Applied Trust and Safety. Working in partnership with The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, IST seeks to address the trust and safety of digital networks, including by examining trust and safety normative frameworks and associated tools together with the policy and regulatory environments. Nile will lead IST’s efforts through a combination of strategy, stakeholder engagement, and execution. 

Nile joins IST from Google, Inc. where she led a range of trust and safety initiatives, including global elections integrity, content moderation, and regulatory transparency efforts in the United States and APAC. Prior to Google, Nile spent time at several Bay Area startups building corporate responsibility and trust organizations and program management frameworks. She began her career as a public servant, which included serving as a team leader for AmeriCorps in Atlanta, GA, followed by time on Capitol Hill and in the Obama White House. Nile then joined the U.S. Foreign Service, where she focused on trade and investment policy, including serving as an Economic Policy officer for the African Affairs Bureau, the acting Visa Chief at U.S. Embassy Brussels, and as the Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the European Union.

“I’m thrilled to join IST to build and lead the organization’s applied trust and safety practice. In an ever-evolving global society, safety and security remain critical,” Nile said. “From privacy and security to policy and regulation, the development of IST’s trust and safety efforts is a robust undertaking. I consider it a privilege to employ my hybrid background in trust and safety, policy, and technology to lead this adaptable initiative that is so integral to IST’s mission of designing and advancing solutions to the world’s toughest emerging security threats.” 

With a decade and a half of experience at the intersection of the public and private sectors, Nile’s extensive background includes the fields of trust and safety; regulatory and government affairs; corporate responsibility; and technology, foreign, and public policy.

“Nile’s experience at Google, Inc., the State Department, and organizations across the trust and safety spectrum, combined with her leadership experience, make her the perfect leader to build and scale our efforts to appropriately manage the unique threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences of digital technologies,” said CEO Philip Reiner. “She will be a crucial part of our collaborative efforts; we’re lucky and thrilled to have her on the team.”