Nicholas Merrill
Privacy advocate and entrepreneur who challenged the FBI over National Security Letters and founded privacy-focused organizations and companies, including the Calyx Institute and the privacy-first mobile carrier Freely.
Best podcasts with Nicholas Merrill
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Dec 11, 2020 • 1h 50min
Nicholas Merrill, Founder of Calyx Institute - Full-Length Interview
Nicholas Merrill, founder of the Calyx Institute and privacy advocate, shares his journey from ISP operator to championing digital rights. He discusses challenging an FBI gag order, emphasizing the importance of privacy technologies. Merrill expresses skepticism about cryptocurrencies, likening them to the dot-com bubble, and underscores Calyx's focus on building privacy tools over legal battles. He also highlights the emotional toll of secrecy, drawing parallels with Edward Snowden, and addresses the digital divide through community hotspots.
Feb 28, 2026 • 29min
From FBI Gag Order To Privacy-First Telco: The Nicholas Merrill Story
Nicholas Merrill, privacy advocate and founder of the Calyx Institute and Freely, tells his story. He recounts challenging an FBI gag order and how that fight shifted him from litigation to building privacy tools. He explains creating a privacy-first mobile carrier, the cryptographic “double-blind” architecture, regulatory trade-offs, and why privacy should be about user agency.
