EFF’s executive director steps down after 25 years of digital rights advocacy

Cindy Cohn announced Tuesday that she is stepping down as executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation after 25 years with the digital rights organization. The departure of Cohn, who has led EFF since 2015, marks the end of an era for one of the most influential voices in the fight for online privacy and digital freedoms during a critical period of tech expansion and government surveillance.

What you should know: Cohn’s tenure at EFF spans some of the most significant battles over digital rights in the internet age.

• She first gained prominence as lead counsel in Bernstein v. Department of Justice, the landmark 1990s case that overturned federal restrictions on publishing encryption code.
• As executive director, she guided EFF through major legal challenges to government surveillance, computer crime law reforms, and corporate accountability for data collection.
• Under her leadership, EFF expanded its influence and became a central force shaping debates over privacy, security, and digital freedom.

The encryption legacy: Cohn views EFF’s early encryption victories as foundational to internet security today.

• “The early fight that we made to free up encryption from government regulation still stands out as setting the stage for a potentially secure internet,” she told WIRED.
• She credits these wins with enabling secure online commerce, encrypted messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp, and backend security systems that protect banking websites.
• “These are all things that would’ve been at risk if we hadn’t won that fight,” Cohn said.

Unfinished battles: Several key fights remain incomplete, according to Cohn’s assessment.

• The NSA surveillance challenges, including the unsuccessful Jewel v. NSA case, represent ongoing work despite some legislative victories.
• Government misuse of national security justifications to violate privacy rights continues to be a concern, particularly with the potential for expanded executive power.
• “It’s especially important now that we do something about the misuse of national security arguments and secrecy, because in the hands of the Trump administration, it’s become an all-purpose tool,” she warned.

Corporate vs. government threats: Cohn sees the line between corporate and government surveillance increasingly blurred.

• “There isn’t a bright line between those two,” she explained, noting how NSA spying relied on telecommunications and internet companies.
• She pointed to a recent San Francisco jury verdict against Google as evidence of growing public skepticism about corporate privacy promises.
• The need for comprehensive national privacy legislation with enforcement teeth remains urgent, though state-level laws are gaining momentum.

EFF’s strategic pivot: The organization has shifted focus to state and local advocacy due to federal gridlock.

• “We made an assessment a few years ago that, on the federal level, Congress is broken for reasons that are much bigger than digital rights issues,” Cohn said.
• California has become a key battleground, with EFF supporting legislation including the pending “1337” bill.
• Local surveillance issues like automated license plate readers and Ring camera partnerships with police require community-level responses.

The technologist advantage: EFF’s integration of legal, technical, and activist expertise has become its “superpower.”

• The organization hired the first staff technologist and now employs 12-13 technical experts, dubbed the “PIT crew.”
• “It’s sacrosanct at EFF that when we weigh in on a technology’s impact on people’s rights, we are right about how the technology works,” Cohn emphasized.
• This technical accuracy builds trust with policymakers, courts, and technology professionals.

AI challenges ahead: Cohn identifies two major concerns about artificial intelligence adoption.

• Excessive hype suggesting AI will solve every problem, coupled with insufficient understanding of how AI systems fail differently than humans.
• Dangerous reliance on AI for high-stakes decisions like bail determinations or child welfare cases without adequate safeguards.
• “We still don’t know all the ways in which these systems will fail so it’s dangerous to rely on them for decisions that matter,” she warned.

What’s next for Cohn: While stepping down from executive leadership, she plans to remain active in digital rights advocacy.

• “I’m more of a warrior and a fighter, so I’m looking for a way to get more directly into the fight than I could do from this role,” she explained.
• Her focus areas will continue to include fighting mass surveillance, government secrecy, and misuse of national security arguments.
• She’s completing a book titled “Privacy’s Defender,” due out next spring, aimed at inspiring new advocates.

Her message to young advocates: Cohn emphasized both the urgent need for more digital rights defenders and the rewards of the work.

• “We need you. There are so few of us compared to the size of the problems and the complexity of the problems that we’re trying to address.”
• Despite daunting challenges, she advocates for continued resistance: “We can either lose now, or fight and maybe lose later. I’m on the side of fighting.”
• “It’s great fun to be on the righteous side. You get to work with really good, smart, and hilarious people,” she added.