Ryan is a Non-Resident Fellow with the Center for Internet and Society. He is a lawyer with Microsoft, where he has practiced since 2007 and served as the lead privacy attorney for a number of Microsoft products and services, including Skype, Outlook.com, and Office. He has expertise in a range of privacy issues relating to product and service development, wiretap laws, online advertising, children, marketing and data breach notification. Furthermore, Ryan has worked on state and federal privacy legislation in the United States, including legislation addressing student privacy, social media and data breach. Prior to joining Microsoft, Ryan worked as a litigator in Seattle and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Fred Van Sickle, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington. He holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law, where he served on the Washington Law Review and graduated with high honors and Order of the Coif.
Ryan Harkins
Non-Residential Fellow
Recent articles
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Microsoft Looms Over the Privacy Debate in Its Home State
"Two Microsoft employees sat opposite one another in a Washington State Senate hearing room last Wednesday. Ryan Harkins, the company’s senior director of…
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Following national scandals, North Dakota lawmaker argues for consumer rights on data privacy bill
"Kasper’s legislation was supported by Ryan Harkins, the director of state affairs and public policy at Microsoft, who said the bill would impose the count…
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Microsoft touts rural broadband plan at governors' meeting in Phoenix
""We're launching a series of pilot projects in states around the country over the course of five years," said Ryan Harkins, director of stat…