Gisela Pérez de Acha is a consultant and trainer for PEN America’s Online Abuse Defense Program. Pérez de Acha is a trained human rights lawyer and investigative reporter focused on disinformation and extremism. She previously worked at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, where she pioneered a unique class that taught cybersecurity and open source investigations for upcoming journalists. Pérez de Acha won a Polk Award for her work in Frontline’s film American Insurrection and was also part of an Emmy Award-winning team at The New York Times for her collaboration on the story about The Siege of Culiacán. She has specialized in internet studies and Latin America for over a decade. Born and raised in Mexico, Pérez de Acha speaks fluent Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese.
