Damian Collins

Damian Collins
Richard Townshend · CC BY 3.0 · source
Name	Damian Collins
Birth date	1974-12-22
Birth place	Dover, Kent, England
Nationality	British
Occupation	Politician, journalist
Party	Conservative Party (UK)
Alma mater	King's College, Cambridge

Damian Collins (born 22 December 1974) is a British former Member of Parliament who represented a Kent constituency from 2010 to 2024. A member of the Conservative Party (UK), he is known for work on digital policy, online safety, and media regulation, and for roles in parliamentary committees and inquiries into technology, extremism, and misinformation.

Early life and education

Born in Dover, Kent, he attended local schools in Kent before reading History at King's College, Cambridge. During his university years he became involved with student journalism and political societies linked to the Conservative Party (UK). After graduation he worked in media and public affairs roles related to broadcasting and publishing in London and the South East England region.

Political career

He was elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom at the 2010 general election for a Kent constituency, succeeding a retiring incumbent from the Conservative Party (UK). He served through multiple parliaments, including the 2010–2015 Parliament, the 2015–2017 Parliament, the 2017–2019 Parliament, and the 2019–2024 Parliament. He campaigned on local issues in Kent, national technology policy at Westminster, and regulatory reform connected to Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport objectives. During his tenure he held roles both on the backbenches and within parliamentary committees, and worked with ministers from administrations led by David Cameron, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson.

Parliamentary roles and committees

He chaired high-profile select committees including the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee (later renamed) and led inquiries into online disinformation, social media harms, and platform responsibility, engaging with technology firms such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok. He was appointed to cross-party and joint committee panels addressing online safety, digital regulation, and extremism, collaborating with MPs from Labour Party (UK), the Liberal Democrats (UK), and minor parties. He also served on parliamentary groups concerning media plurality and local growth, and participated in inquiries involving the Information Commissioner's Office, the Office of Communications, and the National Crime Agency over data protection and child safeguarding issues.

Policy positions and controversies

He advocated for stronger regulation of online platforms, supporting statutory duty-of-care proposals and new regulatory frameworks aligned with recommendations from the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee and allied think tanks. He supported measures to tackle online sexual exploitation, working with charities such as Barnardo's and The NSPCC in parliamentary debates, and pushed for improved cooperation with law enforcement agencies including National Police Chiefs' Council. His inquiries into social media practices produced contentious exchanges with executives from Meta Platforms, Inc., Alphabet Inc., and Twitter, Inc. over transparency and moderation. He faced criticism and media scrutiny over the publication of evidence and the handling of classified materials when probing links between foreign influence, disinformation, and political campaigning, intersecting with investigations by the Electoral Commission (United Kingdom) and questions tied to international actors such as Russia and China. Some commentators in The Guardian (London newspaper), The Daily Telegraph, and The Times (London) debated his methods; trade bodies including the Advertising Association (UK) and civil liberties groups such as Liberty also engaged in public dispute over his proposals.

Post-parliamentary activities and appointments

After leaving the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, he took up advisory and non-executive roles in sectors spanning digital safety, media, and public policy, working with NGOs, consultancy firms, and international organisations focused on online harms and platform governance. He has been appointed to panels and boards addressing content moderation standards, standards of corporate transparency, and legislative reform in the United Kingdom and abroad, maintaining links with regulators such as the Office of Communications and advocacy groups like Get Safe Online. He continues to write and speak on digital policy at events hosted by institutions including Chatham House, Royal United Services Institute, and academic departments at King's College London and University of Oxford.

Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs Category:People from Dover, Kent