Donna Rice Hughes

About Donna Rice Hughes

Donna Rice Hughes is an American internet-safety advocate, author, speaker, producer, and former model who serves as President and CEO of Enough Is Enough (EIE), a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children and families from online sexual exploitation and other internet-related harms. A graduate of the University of South Carolina, she earned a degree in biology with a business minor, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Before entering advocacy work, Hughes pursued modeling and acting and also worked in pharmaceutical sales.

Hughes first became nationally known in 1987, when her association with former U.S. Senator Gary Hart, then seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, became the subject of intense media coverage. The controversy was among the events that preceded Hart’s withdrawal from the presidential race, although accounts of the nature of their relationship were disputed at the time.

Beginning in 1994, Hughes redirected much of her public career toward child protection and internet safety through Enough Is Enough. She has since testified before Congress, advised government and technology-industry initiatives, and spoken extensively about online pornography, sexual predators, cyberbullying, sexting, social media, and related risks to children. She also served on the federal Child Online Protection Act Commission and was executive producer and host of Internet Safety 101, an educational program developed with support from the U.S. Department of Justice and later adapted for public television.