Annie Machon Keynote Speaker

Former MI5 intelligence officer and whistleblower
Speaks about intelligence issues, surveillance, digital civil liberties, data ethics, press freedoms, whistleblowers and Middle Eastern politics
Author of' 'The Privacy Mission: Achieving Ethical Data for Our Lives Online' (2022)

Annie Machon's Biography

Annie Machon was an intelligence officer for MI5, the UK’s domestic Security Service. During that time she was responsible for investigating political and terrorist targets, before resigning to help her former partner and colleague, David Shayler, blow the whistle on the crimes, incompetence and lack of accountability of the spies. As the story made headlines around the world, they were forced to go on the run around Europe and live in exile in France for 3 years.

Drawing on her varied experiences, she is now a writer, media commentator, political campaigner, and PR consultant on a variety of intelligence-related and civil liberties issues. She has a rare perspective both on the inner workings of governments, intelligence agencies and the media, as well as a new-found love for all things geek and the need to protect digital freedoms. She is an international leader in advocating the wider implications for the need for increased openness and accountability in both public and private sectors.

Annie published her first book in 2005, “Spies, Lies and Whistleblowers: MI5, MI6 and the Shayler Affair” in which she offers criticism of MI5 and the Secret Intelligence Service based on her observations of the two whilst in the employment of MI5. She also features regularly in international press, giving her expert insight on intelligence matters, global geopolitics, digital civil liberties and surveillance issues.

She published a second book in 2022 ‘The Privacy Mission: Achieving Ethical Data for Our Lives Online‘

In 2020 she was awarded the SA Award for Integrity in Intelligence by the Sam Adams Associates, a global group of intelligence, diplomatic and military whistle blowers.

She served four years as the European Director of Law Enforcement Action Partnership, is a director of https://worldethicaldata.org/, an organiser of the World Ethical Data Forum, and is an advisory board member of the Courage Foundation.

Annie also featured in numerous films and TV documentaries including The Culture High, Digital Dissidents, The Mole: Undercover in North Korea, Disparaitre, The Secrets of the Spies, Espionnes, and Stasi, with more coming out soon