Avast Appoints Shane McNamee as Chief Privacy Officer

Avast has announced the appointment of Shane McNamee as Chief Privacy Officer. McNamee will oversee Avast’s global privacy strategy and drive the company’s privacy-by-design approach.

McNamee has over seven years’ experience in regulatory and digital policy, focusing on data protection and digital rights in a number of high profile organizations, and the Data Protection Commission of Ireland. He has worked extensively on policy, research, and public awareness and has spoken and published on a range of complex topics including digital rights, fintech, software licensing, genetic research, and evolving and interconnected data protection regimes.

The experience McNamee brings will further embed a privacy-by-design culture within Avast and will promote a resilient, and transparent data protection strategy across the business, its policies, products and services. In the last two and a half years, he has been working on implementing and operationalizing the GDPR, including through significant awareness raising and the production of guidance on data protection rights, and will draw on this experience to further shape Avast’s privacy strategy.

Of his appointment, McNamee said, “I’m delighted to join Avast and to bring my insights from the regulatory and academic perspective to the table. I am particularly interested in the challenges and opportunities posed by innovative technologies, and look forward to promoting a privacy-centric approach at Avast to emerging and developing technologies such as online security, artificial intelligence, and the internet of things.”

Kelby Barton, General Counsel at Avast, said, “Shane is a legal and policy professional whose experience is focused on regulatory approaches to data protection, consumer protection, and digital rights. Given the increasing complexity of the role of data in the technology industry, Shane is an important addition to our team as we pursue a resilient, transparent approach to data protection for our digital customers. I am very excited to welcome Shane to Avast, at a time when Avast is expanding our range of privacy products and are committed to ensuring ethical data standards across our business.”