McCourt Institute

Name

McCourt Institute

Legal name

Project Liberty Institute

Website

https://mccourtinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit AI Policy Research

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

AI Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Platforms (HDAAAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI Privacy Engineering & Data Governance (PII, consent, retention) (HDAAAKAB), Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good) (BPAGALAK), Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII) (HDAEANAG)

Keywords

• AI policy research
• Open protocol standards
• Data sovereignty governance
• Decentralized social infrastructure
• Pro-human AI ecosystem

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Project Liberty Institute is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that stewards open technology infrastructure, advances policy frameworks, and commissions research to support a pro-human AI ecosystem. Its central technology output is the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP), an open protocol establishing a shared social layer that already secures data for millions of users. It also develops legislative frameworks such as the Digital Choice Act (enacted in Utah, South Dakota, and Virginia) and publishes independent research reports for technologists, policymakers, and civic leaders.

Product overview

The Project Liberty Institute is an independent 501(c)(3) research institute focused on building an open, pro-human AI ecosystem. Rather than a commercial product company, it operates across three interconnected areas: (1) open technology infrastructure anchored by the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP), which provides a shared social layer and data sovereignty framework; (2) policy and governance work including the Digital Choice Act legislative framework establishing data portability and interoperability requirements; and (3) commissioned research and insights generating evidence for pro-human AI, including published reports on digital infrastructure and blockchain governance. The Institute functions as a convening body bringing together technologists, researchers, policymakers, investors, and civil society leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP) An open protocol stewarded by the Institute that establishes a shared social layer not dependent on a specific application or centralized platform, securing data for millions of users and supporting frameworks for human-AI interaction while retaining user control over data.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and advisory.

• Georgetown UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading research institution collaborating on independent scholarship on digital governance, AI safety, and open technology architecture.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution funding and publishing independent scholarship on digital governance, AI safety, and open technology architecture.
• ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading technical university collaborating on research related to digital governance, AI safety, and open technology architecture.
• MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor research partner for digital governance, AI safety, and open technology architecture. Home to DSNP advisors David Clark (CSAIL) and Alex 'Sandy' Pentland (Media Arts and Sciences).
• Harvard UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution funding and publishing independent scholarship on digital governance, AI safety, and open technology architecture. Home to DSNP advisor Lawrence Lessig (Harvard Law School).
• Project Liberty AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of pioneering organizations whose work supports and conducts partnership with the Institute for pro-human AI ecosystem development.
• David ClarkadvisoryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSNP Advisor - Senior Research Scientist at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), providing technical expertise on open protocols.
• Lawrence LessigadvisoryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSNP Advisor - Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School, providing governance and policy expertise.
• Alex 'Sandy' PentlandadvisoryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSNP Advisor - Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT, providing expertise on human-centered technology.
• Deb RoyadvisoryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSNP Advisor - Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT and Director of the MIT Center for Constructive Communication, Founder and CEO of Cortico.
• Wendy SeltzeradvisoryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSNP Advisor - Principal Identity Architect at Tucows, providing expertise on digital identity and data sovereignty.
• Sara WedemanadvisoryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSNP Advisor - Founder and owner of Behavioral Economics Consulting Group, providing expertise on behavioral aspects of technology adoption.
• Audrey TangadvisoryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSNP Advisor - Taiwan's First Digital Minister, providing government perspective on digital governance and policy frameworks.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Freedom House: Freedom House is a nonprofit advocacy organization that researches and promotes democratic freedoms, including digital rights and internet freedom globally. Comparable as a research and policy-driven nonprofit working on democratic governance of technology.
• Linux Foundation (LF Decentralized Trust): The Linux Foundation hosts open protocol and decentralized infrastructure projects (Hyperledger, etc.), providing governance infrastructure similar to the role the Institute plays in stewarding DSNP. Comparable as an open-protocol ecosystem enabler.

Emerging players

• Center for AI Safety (CAIS): CAIS is a nonprofit research organization focused on AI existential risk, policy, and safety research. It shares the Institute's nonprofit, research-driven approach to shaping AI governance and aligning AI with human interests.
• Solid (Inrupt / Tim Berners-Lee): Solid is Tim Berners-Lee's decentralized web platform for personal data pods and user-controlled identity, with overlapping goals to DSNP. It represents an alternative open-standard approach to giving users control of their social data.

Regional players

• Access Now: Access Now is an international digital rights nonprofit defending user privacy and open internet, with strong policy advocacy across the EU and globally. Comparable to the Institute in mission, though with primary geographic focus on Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Mozilla Foundation: Mozilla Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit stewarding open web standards (Firefox, Mozilla Manifest) and advocating for digital rights, AI accountability, and user data control. It is the closest analog to Project Liberty Institute in its nonprofit, mission-driven approach to open technology and digital governance.
• OpenAI (Policy / Governance team): OpenAI is a leading commercial AI lab with a substantial AI policy, safety, and governance function. While commercial rather than nonprofit, it is one of the prominent voices shaping AI governance frameworks that the Institute engages with through policy and research.
• Anthropic (Policy): Anthropic is a frontier AI lab operating a Public Benefit Corporation with a focus on AI safety and responsible development. It is comparable to the Institute's mission in advancing pro-human and safety-oriented AI governance, though from a commercial model.

Direct peers

• Bluesky Social: Bluesky operates the AT Protocol, a decentralized social networking protocol comparable to DSNP. It is the most direct technical peer, building open social infrastructure with user data portability at its core.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): EFF is a leading nonprofit digital rights organization focused on privacy, free expression, and interoperability in technology. The Institute shares EFF's emphasis on digital rights, open protocols, and policy advocacy countering centralized platform power.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/McCourtInst
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Project_Liberty
• Facebookfacebook.com/projectlibertyactionnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mccourt-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/pro_jectliberty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McCourt Institute