Zeynep Tufekci is an Associate Professor at the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina and a regular contributor to the New York Times op-ed section. She is a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University and was previously an Andrew Carnegie Fellow and a fellow at the Center for Information Technology Policy at the Princeton University.

Zeynep’s research interests revolve around the intersection of technology and society. Her academic work focuses on social movements and civics, privacy and surveillance, and social interaction. She is also increasingly known for her work on "big data" and algorithmic decision making. Originally from Turkey, and formerly a computer programmer, Zeynep became interested in the social impacts of technology and began to focus on how digital and computational technology interact with social, political and cultural dynamics.

Her work has appeared in a wide range of outlets, from peer-reviewed journals to traditional media outlets and blogging platforms. Her book, Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest, published by Yale University Press in 2017, examines the dynamics, strengths, and weaknesses of 21st century social movements.