Nicole Ozer Appointed as EFF’s New Executive Director, Bringing Legal Expertise in Combating Surveillance

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a leading U.S. digital rights advocacy group, announced on June 1, 2026, the appointment of Nicole Ozer as its new Executive Director. Ozer is a legal expert in privacy, surveillance, artificial intelligence, and digital speech, and she will now lead the organization dedicated to protecting civil liberties in the digital age.

The outgoing Executive Director, Cindy Cohn, served in the role since 2015 and has been part of EFF for over 25 years. Cohn clarified that her decision to step down is not a retirement but rather a return to her roots—fighting legal battles against government overreach. She plans to remain active within the EFF community.

A Career at the Forefront of Digital Rights

Advocacy

Ozer’s career is deeply intertwined with the defense of civil liberties in the digital era. After serving as the inaugural Executive Director at the Constitutional Democracy Center at the University of California, San Francisco School of Law, she worked as the Founding Director of the Technology and Civil Liberties Program at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Northern California from 2004 to 2025. Her nearly 20-year tenure in this role demonstrated her commitment to safeguarding digital freedoms.

Ozer has long collaborated with EFF, working together in defense of civil liberties in the digital realm. According to EFF’s official announcement, Ozer has been described as “the closest member of the EFF family without formally being part of the organization.”

Model Surveillance Regulation Law Influences

25 States

One of Ozer’s most notable achievements is drafting a groundbreaking model law that mandates democratic oversight of surveillance systems. This model legislation has influenced the enactment of 25 laws across the U.S., protecting the rights and safety of over 17 million citizens. The framework requires local governments to obtain democratic approval before introducing surveillance technologies, setting an important precedent for balancing privacy and security.

Leadership in Passing the Nation’s Strongest

Electronic Surveillance Law

Ozer played a leading role in the creation of the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (CalECPA), recognized as the nation’s strongest electronic surveillance regulation. Drafted in collaboration with EFF, the law requires government entities to obtain warrants to access electronic information. This includes smartphone location data, emails, and data stored on the cloud—critical in restricting government access to the vast amount of electronic information generated in daily life.

She also contributed to modernizing California’s law to protect reading records in the digital age. The Reader Privacy Act, developed with EFF, ensures stricter warrant requirements—known as “super warrants”—for government access to library records and e-book services. This initiative helps safeguard the right to access knowledge, a cornerstone of democracy, in the digital world.

Legal Advocacy and Policy Pressure on Tech Giants

Ozer’s achievements extend to litigation. She has worked alongside EFF in legal cases challenging the surveillance activities of the National Security Agency (NSA), fighting to protect civil liberties. She has also contributed to influential amicus briefs on technology-related issues at all court levels, including the U.S. Supreme Court and California Supreme Court.

Ozer has spearheaded multi-year campaigns aimed at pressuring major technology companies to strengthen their policies on social media surveillance and facial recognition technologies. These efforts focus on ensuring greater protection for privacy and freedom of expression on platforms used by billions worldwide. As artificial intelligence continues to proliferate, the question of how tech companies safeguard users’ rights is growing ever more critical.

EFF’s Mission in the Age of AI

EFF emphasizes that its mission to ensure technology supports freedom, justice, and innovation is more urgent than ever. In 2026, challenges surrounding digital rights are more complex than ever, including the rapid spread of generative AI, the expansion of facial recognition technology, increased data collection by governments and corporations, and growing regulation of online speech.

With over 20 years of experience in public interest technology and expertise spanning EFF’s key focus areas—privacy, surveillance, AI, and digital speech—Ozer’s leadership is expected to be a valuable asset. EFF anticipates her guidance will bolster the organization’s ability to address current challenges and prepare for the future.

Headquartered in San Francisco, EFF is a nonprofit organization that has been defending civil liberties in the digital world since its establishment in 1990. Through legal advocacy, policy recommendations, technology development, and public education initiatives, EFF works to protect digital rights from multifaceted threats.