Name: Coding, Free Speech and You
Start: 2025-07-08T19:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-08T21:00:00-05:00
Location: Capital Factory

EFF-Austin is sustained via the contributions of supporters like you. Donate via the Donation widget on our website at the top of the main page: [https://effaustin.org](https://effaustin.org)

**Thank you to Capital Factory for sponsoring EFF-Austin. Capital Factory is the center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Texas. They meet the best entrepreneurs in Texas and introduce them to their first investors, employees, mentors and customers. To sign up for a Capital Factory coworking membership, [click here](https://capital-factory.officernd.com/signup?office=5d1bcda0dbd6e40010479eec).**

**BIO:**
Our speaker this month is Cindy Cohn. Cindy Cohn is the Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. From 2000-2015 she served as EFF’s Legal Director as well as its General Counsel. Ms. Cohn first became involved with EFF in 1993, when EFF asked her to serve as the outside lead attorney in [Bernstein v. Dept. of Justice](https://www.eff.org/cases/bernstein-v-us-dept-justice), the successful First Amendment challenge to the U.S. export restrictions on cryptography.

Ms. Cohn has been named to TheNonProfitTimes *2020 Power & Influence TOP 50* list, honoring 2020's movers and shakers. In 2018, Forbes included Ms. Cohn as one of [America's Top 50 Women in Tech](https://www.forbes.com/sites/helenpopkin/2018/11/29/forbes-list-americas-top-50-women-in-tech-2018/#17cee17a4b71). The National Law Journal named Ms. Cohn one of 100 most influential lawyers in America in [2013,](http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202593197565&The_100_Most_Influential_Lawyers_in_America&slreturn=20130312173616) noting: "[I]f Big Brother is watching, he better look out for Cindy Cohn." She was also named in 2006 for "rushing to the barricades wherever freedom and civil liberties are at stake online." In 2007 the National Law Journal named her one of the 50 most influential women lawyers in America. In 2010 the Intellectual Property Section of the State Bar of California awarded her its Intellectual Property [Vanguard Award](https://web.archive.org/web/20100826192755/http://ipsection.calbar.ca.gov/Education/TheIPInsitute/2010IPVanguardAwards.aspx) and in 2012 the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists awarded her the[ James Madison Freedom of Information Award](https://web.archive.org/web/20120521101438/http://www.spjnorcal.org:80/blog/2012/02/10/spj-norcal-names-first-amendment-honorees/).

Ms. Cohn is the co-host of EFF's award winning podcast, [How to Fix the Internet.](https://www.eff.org/how-to-fix-the-internet-podcast)

**TALK SUMMARY:**
In the 1990s EFF helped establish that code is speech under the First Amendment. What did that mean at the time, and what does it mean now? How should we use this to help defend the free and open internet today?

**HOW TO ATTEND:**
Capital Factory is located at 701 Brazos Street, on the 1st floor of the Omni Hotel. We are in the Apollo meeting room. To locate Apollo, locate Capital Factory's main event room off the Omni lobby, Voltron, Suite 150. Once inside, there should be someone at the desk to direct you to our meetup, but, if no one is there, proceed to the left past the kitchen and down the hallway, Apollo is right around the corner. You may also message us on this event or message us at [@EFFaustin](http://@EFFaustin) on Twitter or [@effaustin@mastodon.social](https://mastodon.social/@effaustin) on Mastodon if you are having trouble finding us. Please note that the room will be locked and EFF-Austin will not have access until 10-15 minutes before 7:00pm CST. We will try to have someone in the Omni lobby earlier than that in front of the Voltron doors to greet you if you arrive early, but otherwise just wait in the lobby until you are let in.

Talk will be livestreamed at both our Youtube channel ([https://www.youtube.com/live/SnbzDOJBGeg](https://www.youtube.com/live/SnbzDOJBGeg), direct feed of the Zoom room) and at Capital Factory's Youtube channel ([https://www.youtube.com/user/austintechlive](https://www.youtube.com/user/austintechlive), feed of the physical room at Capital Factory) and will later be archived at [https://www.youtube.com/user/effaustin](https://www.youtube.com/user/effaustin). Questions for the speaker from virtual attendees may be submitted via the Youtube livestream chat, our Twitter account, [@EFFaustin](http://@EFFaustin), our Mastodon account, [@effaustin@mastodon.social](https://mastodon.social/@effaustin), or our Bluesky account, [@effaustin.bsky.social.](http://@effaustin.bsky.social.)

Parking for the Omni Garage can be validated at the Capital Factory front desk inside room Voltron, Suite 150, reducing the cost to $8. If no one is at the desk, check with EFF-Austin meetup organizers, we can provide you with one. Attendees must park after 5pm and leave before 10pm to receive the discount, otherwise they will be charged full price, which is $3.25 for every 30 minutes. Affordable street park is also available nearby. Details: [https://capitalfactory.com/parking/](https://capitalfactory.com/parking/)

**AFTER PARTY:**
Join us for the discussion from 7:00PM-9:00PM, followed by drinks and camaraderie from 9:00PM-10:00PM in the Omni Hotel lobby.

Kevin Welch

EFF-Austin

Movements & Politics

Politics

Social Issues

Individual Privacy

Technology

Liberty

Freedom

Political Activism

Electronic Privacy

Digital Rights

Censorship and Freedom of Speech

Copyright

Internet Privacy

Coding, Free Speech and You

Capital Factory

Share

Coding, Free Speech and You

EFF-Austin

Details

Members are also interested in