Del Harvey

Del Harvey is recognized as a leading figure in the development of online trust and safety. Harvey founded, built, and led the global Trust & Safety team at Twitter for its first 13 years, serving as the company’s 25th employee and the first executive in charge of spam and abuse—a role that evolved into the trust and safety function known today. In this capacity, Harvey worked to ensure user safety and security, balancing Twitter’s open communication model with the need to address spammers, harassers, and other threats, while developing policies that supported the platform’s growth.

Prior to her work at Twitter, Harvey established a foundation in law enforcement and child safety. She spent five years as a law enforcement liaison for an organization combating child sexual exploitation, collaborating with agencies including local police departments, the FBI, US Marshals, and the Secret Service. Harvey also worked for the nonprofit Perverted Justice, which investigated online predators and contributed to the NBC series "To Catch a Predator." This experience provided her with a grounded perspective on the real-world consequences of online harm, which she later applied to her work in social media safety.

During her tenure at Twitter, Harvey became an authority on the challenges of content moderation and online abuse prevention at scale. She focused on strategies to prevent abuse, trolling, and stalking, while supporting free expression for users worldwide. Harvey championed safety technologies such as PhotoDNA, a Microsoft-developed tool that creates unique fingerprints for images uploaded to Twitter. Her responsibilities also included overseeing efforts to protect democratic processes and address problematic content on the platform.

Harvey is also known for her public advocacy on digital safety. She delivered a TED Talk titled "Protecting Twitter Users (Sometimes from Themselves)," which provided insight into her approach to user protection and digital risk management. Her speaking topics include business leadership, ethics, innovation, technology, and diversity and inclusion.

Following her time at Twitter, Harvey has continued to influence the trust and safety field as an adviser, public speaker, and coach for industry professionals. She serves as the board chair of the Trust & Safety Professional Association and consults on issues such as content moderation, online safety, freedom of expression, privacy, and leadership in global teams. With a career spanning nonprofit work, network television, and leadership in social media safety operations, Harvey remains a significant voice in the ongoing effort to create safer digital environments.