In an era where technology touches nearly every aspect of life, Leonore ten Hulsen, a fourth-year PhD candidate at the EUI’s Law Department, is tackling a pivotal question: How are private tech companies like Meta and TikTok reshaping the landscape of law enforcement in the European Union? Her research explores the growing role of these companies in crime control, raising critical questions about responsibility, accountability, and the tension between profit-driven motives and public security.
"My research focuses on the shifting responsibilities in EU law enforcement," Leonore shares. "There are a lot of technological developments that are influencing crime control. This translates not just to new means of doing investigations, but also to the involvement of new actors."
Her work sits at the intersection of law and technology, a rapidly evolving field with numerous complexities. As tech companies grow in power, so do the pressing questions about their role in public security. "Private actors aren't there to protect public goods like security: they're there to make a profit," Leonore notes. "That creates tension when we assign them tasks traditionally handled by public institutions. How can we ensure that these private entities, driven by profit, act in the public's best interest when it comes to law enforcement?"
Leonore’s diverse background – including a degree in liberal arts and sciences, work at a Dutch law firm, and time as a court clerk in Amsterdam – has equipped her with a unique perspective on the relationship between law and technology. It was during her time as a clerk at the court that she became interested in the intersection of criminal law and tech. "I saw a lot of technological means being used, but sometimes there were issues or knowledge gaps with certain tech tools," she recalls. This sparked her desire to examine how tech and law interact, particularly in the context of law enforcement.
This experience shaped how Leonore approaches her research in a field that is constantly evolving. "It remains very much a dynamic field, and a lot of the things I research are things that are happening right now or changing all the time," she shares. Indeed, in recent months, tech giants like Meta have made decisions – such as scaling back content regulation – that further complicate the relationship between private companies and law enforcement. "The climate is changing (...). These shifts can have big implications for EU law enforcement," Leonore cautions. "Tech companies are starting to question whether it's in their best interest to continue collaborating with law enforcement. That complicates the issue of responsibility."
This shifting landscape does not just affect private companies; it also reshapes the roles of public agencies like Europol. "It's not just that internet service providers are changing their role in criminal investigations. Europol's role is evolving too," Leonore explains. "It's a co-influential development, where the responsibilities of both private and public actors are reshaped together."
The challenge of studying this evolving collaboration is heightened by the confidentiality that surrounds law enforcement practices, especially in sensitive areas like cybercrime and terrorism. "It can be challenging to reach the right people and earn their trust," she explains. Yet Leonore is undeterred, drawing on her network of interviews with key stakeholders at Europol, the European Commission, the European Data Protection Supervisor, and other bodies. These interviews are integral to her approach, as they provide insights not just into what the law says, but into the actual practices of those working within this space. "It's not just confined to your mind or your laptop; it's unfolding in real life," she says about the process of bringing her research to life.
At the EUI, Leonore has the freedom to approach her research in an interdisciplinary way – something she sees as essential to her PhD journey. "There are so many ways in which the EUI has influenced my interdisciplinary approach to research, helping me generate new ideas and explore different avenues," she explains. One of the highlights of her time here has been co-organising the AFJS 3.0 conference together with fellow EUI law researchers Valerie Albus, Ludivine Stewart, and Alexandra Karaiskou, which brought together esteemed professors and researchers from the CIVICA alliance partner institutions to discuss their research on the EU's Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice (AFJS) in the dynamic landscape of the digital age.
"The AFJS 3.0 conference brought together a mix of perspectives from across Europe – from migration studies to criminal law and data protection. We had keynote speakers like the European Data Protection Supervisor and Maja Brkan, a judge from the EU General Court, which gave me the chance to see how my research connects with the real world," she recalls. "It was a really special experience, made possible through CIVICA's support. I highly encourage the EUI academic community to take advantage of the opportunities CIVICA offers."
As her research progresses, Leonore’s work continues to challenge our understanding of the balance between public responsibility and private interest. Her insights offer a critical lens for examining the future of law enforcement in a society increasingly influenced by technology.
Leonore ten Hulsen is a researcher at the EUI Department of Law, specialising in criminal law and the influence of technology. Her thesis title is ‘Shifting responsibilities in the area of freedom, security and justice: the role of Europol and internet service providers’. Her supervisor is Deirdre Curtin.
CIVICA brings together ten leading European higher education institutions in the social sciences, humanities, business management and public policy, with a total of 72,000 students and 13,000 faculty members. Together, they build on an ever-stronger combination of teaching research and innovation to mobilise and share knowledge as a public good and to facilitate civic responsibility in Europe and beyond. To read the final report on the AFSJ 3.0 Conference, click here.