After a 26-year tenure, Cindy Cohn is stepping down from her role as the executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), marking a major leadership transition for one of the world’s most prominent digital civil liberties organizations. Cohn, who has been a central figure in internet policy and litigation since the late 1990s, announced her departure effective today, naming Nicole Ozer as her successor to lead the San Francisco-based nonprofit.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, established in 1990, has played a foundational role in shaping the legal landscape for encryption, free speech, and digital privacy. Under Cohn’s leadership, the organization expanded its influence from a small group of activists into an established institution that frequently challenges both government surveillance and corporate data practices in federal courts. According to the official organizational history, the EFF operates as a non-profit, member-supported group dedicated to defending civil liberties in the digital age.
A Legacy of Digital Rights Litigation
Cohn’s career at the EFF is defined by several landmark legal battles that helped define how the First and Fourth Amendments apply to modern technology. One of her most notable early contributions involved the case of Bernstein v. Department of Justice, which challenged government restrictions on the export of encryption software. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ultimately ruled that computer code is a form of protected speech, a decision that remains a cornerstone of internet security law.
Throughout her tenure, the organization has consistently targeted the “third-party doctrine”—a legal concept that allows the government to obtain records held by third-party companies without a warrant. While the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in Carpenter v. United States marked a significant shift by requiring warrants for historical cell-site location information, the EFF continues to advocate for broader protections for metadata and digital communications, as noted in the organization’s official transition announcement.
Transitioning Leadership in an AI-Driven Era
The appointment of Nicole Ozer as the new executive director comes at a time when the EFF is pivoting to address the legal challenges posed by artificial intelligence and automated surveillance. Ozer, a longtime collaborator of Cohn, previously served in leadership roles focused on technology and civil liberties, including extensive work with the ACLU of Northern California, where she directed the Technology and Civil Liberties program. Her appointment is intended to maintain the organization’s focus on the intersection of machine learning and human rights.
The organizational shift occurs against a backdrop of increasing legislative scrutiny regarding the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISAA) and ongoing debates surrounding Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). As the EFF moves into this new chapter, it faces a complex environment where surveillance technologies—such as license plate readers and facial recognition—are becoming increasingly embedded in municipal infrastructure, according to recent privacy impact reports published by the foundation.
The Future of Internet Freedom Advocacy
Despite the change in leadership, the EFF’s core mission remains focused on what Cohn has historically described as “internet plumbing”—the technical and legal infrastructure that facilitates secure, private communication. The organization currently maintains a membership base of over 30,000 individuals, which provides the financial independence necessary to pursue long-term litigation against both federal agencies and major technology corporations.
Cohn has indicated that while she is stepping down from her executive duties, she plans to remain active in the legal field, focusing on courtroom advocacy. The transition is expected to be seamless, with Ozer assuming full control of the foundation’s strategic planning and legal operations immediately. The organization’s board of directors oversees these transitions to ensure that the EFF continues its work on pending cases, including those involving the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
For those tracking the foundation’s next steps, the EFF regularly publishes updates on its active litigation docket and legislative priorities through its DeepLinks blog. Readers interested in the organization’s ongoing impact on policy can monitor the federal court system for upcoming filings in cases related to digital privacy and algorithmic accountability.