Seyi Akiwowo
Seyi Akiwowo is a multi-award-winning founder and governance architect.
Twitter: @seyiakiwowo
Instagram: @seyiakiwowo
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Biography
Seyi Akiwowo is a British-Nigerian writer and governance thinker exploring power, safety and democracy in the digital age.
She is the critically acclaimed author of HOW TO STAY SAFE ONLINE (Penguin, 2022), a definitive guide to digital self-care and resilience that reframed online safety as a question of agency, power and systemic responsibility. In 2025, she wrote the front cover essay for Mslexia on social anxiety and digital life, further establishing her voice at the intersection of culture, technology and women’s lived experience.
Seyi’s writing spans essays, investigative commentary and research-led analysis. She has contributed to WIRED, the Telegraph, Huffington Post, and academic journals, and co-authored the groundbreaking Digital Misogynoir Report (2023), examining the intersection of racism and misogyny in online spaces.
Alongside her writing, Seyi founded and led Glitch, one of Europe’s most influential nonprofits addressing online abuse, contributing to reforms including the UK’s Online Safety Act. A former elected politician, she made history at 23 as the youngest Black woman to serve as a councillor in East London.
She is the recipient of the Inaugural Susan Wojcicki Tech for Impact Award, Vital Voices Global Leadership Award (2026). Her work has also been recognised by WIRED (Global Changemakers), Digital Leaders (Digital Leader of the Year), and Marie Claire (Future Shapers).
Through her Substack newsletter, she continues to write about digital citizenship, institutional responsibility and the future of democratic life.
Books
How To Stay Safe Online
Her first book, HOW TO STAY SAFE ONLINE, was published by Penguin in 2022.
Praise for How to Stay Safe Online:
‘A book written from the front line of life online - heartfelt, heart-breaking, practical, brilliant.’ - Richard Curtis CBE British Screenwriter
‘Seyi’s book will help us protect our online communities.’ - Ian Wright, Former Arsenal Footballer and Pundit
‘The brilliant tools in this book will help you set better boundaries, protect your mental health, be a better digital citizen, and in general look after ourselves and each other.’ - Emma Gannon, Writer and Broadcaster
‘This is essential reading for the time we live in’ - Kelechi Okafor, Actress and Director
'This book needed to be written and thankfully it finally has. Seyi's experience, and those of countless others, are full of valuable lessons for keeping us safe and empowered online' - Kajal Odedra, head of change.org