Dr Kim Barker is a Senior Lecturer in law at the Open University Law School, specialising in internet law including online violence against women, online misogyny, online hate speech, regulation of online content (especially via social media platforms and online games), and intellectual property law (copyright, and digital content). She holds a PhD in Intellectual Property Law, Internet Regulation and Contract Law from Aberystwyth University.

Her book 'Online misogyny as a hate crime: a challenge for (legal) regulation?' (authored with Dr Olga Jurasz) addresses some of these themes was published by Routledge in 2019. Kim has published research in all of these areas and presented her research regionally, nationally and internationally, in conferences as well as thorough keynote addresses. Her research has been funded by the Economic & Social Research Council, and British and Irish Law, Education and Technology Association (BILETA).

Dr Barker's research in respect of online misogyny and the online abuse of women has been cited around the world. Her research expertise has been cited in Parliamentary reports and debates, as well as international reports relating to online violence against women, and online misogyny, and has been relied upon by non-governmental organisations, as well as by Governments.