Professor Joh Comments for N.Y. Times Essay on Role, Meaning of Masks

Professor Elizabeth Joh weighed in for New York Times writer Vanessa Friedman’s Aug. 1 Critic’s Notebook piece on the evolving role of masks in our society.

Friedman used immigration enforcement officers’ recent controversial use of masks and other identity-obscuring items during raids as a jumping-off point for her essay exploring the history and nature of masks in the culture.

Joh commented on the portrayal on social media of Luigi Mangione, accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City in 2024 as a “masked gunman” and kind of Robin Hood figure avenging Americans wronged by insurance companies.

The hubbub over Mangione subsequently being unmasked and identified by name underscores how “faces are a source of vulnerability,” said Joh, who specializes in privacy and technology.

Professor Joh's scholarship focuses on criminal law and procedure, with a special emphasis on the police use of new technologies. She is the recipient of King Hall’s 2017 Distinguished Teaching Award.