Nicole Ozer Named New Executive Director of Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)

SAN FRANCISCO – Nicole Ozer has been appointed the new executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), effective June 1, the organization announced today. Ozer, a legal expert specializing in privacy, surveillance, artificial intelligence, and digital speech, succeeds Cindy Cohn, who has led the EFF for nearly a decade.

Currently the inaugural executive director of the Center for Constitutional Democracy at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, Ozer brings over two decades of experience advocating for civil liberties in the digital realm. From 2004 to 2025, she served as the founding director of the Technology and Civil Liberties Program at the ACLU of Northern California.

“I am honored to lead EFF forward in these critical times,” Ozer stated. “EFF’s global work to defend and advance rights, justice, and democracy in the digital age is fundamental to the future of our countries, our livelihoods, and literally our lives. I am ready to hit the ground running with EFF’s exceptional staff, board, and broad base of supporters and ensure that EFF is stronger than ever. Together, we can meet this moment and build a future where technology works for the people.”

Cohn, who has been with the EFF for over 25 years, expressed confidence in Ozer’s ability to lead the organization. “She has been our stalwart partner for many years in standing up for privacy, free speech and innovation online. I’m confident that she understands both the strong heart and the future potential of EFF especially as our work is more critical than ever,” Cohn said.

The EFF, which celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2025, champions user privacy, free expression, and innovation through litigation, policy analysis, activism, and technology development. Ozer’s appointment comes at a time of increasing scrutiny surrounding artificial intelligence, data privacy, and government surveillance.

Throughout her career, Ozer has spearheaded significant legislative achievements, including the passage of the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (CalECPA) – considered the nation’s strongest electronic surveillance law – and the California Reader Privacy Act, which established a higher standard for government access to reading records. She also developed a model law for local oversight of surveillance technologies, adopted by 25 jurisdictions across the United States, impacting over 17 million people.

Ozer’s work extends beyond legislative advocacy. She has litigated civil liberties cases and authored amicus briefs at both the state and federal levels, including before the U.S. Supreme Court and the California Supreme Court. She has also led campaigns to strengthen privacy policies at major technology companies regarding social media surveillance and facial recognition technology.

Prior to her role at the ACLU and the Center for Constitutional Democracy, Ozer served as a judicial clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and as an intellectual property attorney at Morrison & Foerster LLP. She is currently a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and held fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights Policy and the Stanford Digital Civil Society Lab.

“Nicole Ozer is the ideal person to lead EFF during this unprecedented time in our nation’s history,” said Gigi Sohn, EFF Board Chair. “She possesses all of the qualities necessary to lead the organization: great vision, strong management skills and deep substantive knowledge. The fact that she has worked alongside EFF for over two decades is icing on the cake. The EFF Board is excited to welcome Nicole and begin a new chapter in our history.”

The EFF Board of Directors conducted a comprehensive search for Cohn’s successor, assisted by the leadership advisory firm Russell Reynolds Associates.