Digital Rights Defender Steps Aside: Cindy Cohn to Leave EFF After 25 Years

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Digital Rights Defender Steps Aside: Cindy Cohn to Leave EFF After 25 Years

By CircleID Reporter
September 10, 2025, 1:17 pm PDT Views: 8,966 Add Comment

Cindy Cohn served as Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation from 2015 to 2026.

Cindy Cohn, a leading advocate for digital civil liberties, will step down as executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) by mid-2026. Her departure marks the end of a tenure spanning over two decades, including ten years at the helm of the San Francisco-based nonprofit. Under her leadership, EFF expanded its influence in battles over online privacy, encryption, and surveillance, becoming a central player in global digital rights advocacy.

Cohn first worked with EFF in the 1990s as lead counsel in Bernstein v. Department of Justice, a landmark case that helped lift U.S. restrictions on cryptography. She later served as EFF’s Legal Director and General Counsel before taking over as executive director in 2015. Her legal work and strategic vision earned her national recognition, including listings in Forbes and The National Law Journal.

While stepping down from management, Cohn has no intention of retiring from activism. Describing herself as “more of a warrior than a manager,” she plans to return to frontline efforts against mass surveillance and government overreach. Her memoir, Privacy’s Defender, is slated for release in 2026.

EFF’s board has launched a global search for her successor, with plans to name a new director by next spring. Cohn will remain during a transitional period to ensure continuity.

Her legacy, according to colleagues and allies, lies not only in courtroom victories but also in fostering a new generation of digital rights defenders. As surveillance technologies proliferate and artificial intelligence raises new privacy concerns, Cohn’s exit comes at a time when the fight she helped lead seems more urgent than ever.

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By CircleID Reporter — CircleID’s internal staff reporting on news tips and developing stories. Do you have information the professional Internet community should be aware of? Contact us.
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