Privacy's Defender

Cindy Cohn's Privacy's Defender is a practitioner's memoir tracing her thirty-year career defending digital privacy, from early encryption battles through the NSA surveillance revelations and recent abuses of government power.

The book blends personal story with legal history, detailing landmark cases, whistleblower interactions, and the strategies used to protect encryption and civil liberties online.

Cohn highlights how legal fights, technologists, and activists have intersected to shape digital rights and discusses the ongoing risks posed by mass surveillance and data-sharing across government agencies.

She also reflects on sustaining long-term advocacy, recruiting new generations of defenders, and the role of community and art—especially music—in sustaining activists.

The memoir aims to inspire readers with varied skills to join the fight for privacy and democratic accountability in the digital age.