Jillian C. York is a California-based writer and free speech activist, currently serving as the Director for International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco. Her work focuses on a range of issues related to free expression online, with a special emphasis on the Middle East and North Africa. York is also interested, on a more personal level, in questions of race and identity, the future of journalism, and "digital activism".
From 2008 to 2011, York worked at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. There, she coordinated research and testing for the OpenNet Initiative and international outreach for Herdict Web. York also managed research into DDoS attacks, circumvention tools and technologies, and Blogging Common.
In 2009, York co-founded Talk Morocco, which recently won Deutsche Welle’s Best of Blogs (BOBs) competition in the English Blog category. She is also on the board of Global Voices Online, and an advisor for Socialistr.com.
York has written for numerous publications, including The Guardian, Index on Censorship, BITCH magazine, SHIFTMag, and the Huffington Post. She currently writes for Global Voices Online.
York is also a regular public speaker. In the past year, she has spoken at the Personal Democracy Forum; SXSW; re:publica; Computers, Privacy, and Freedom; and the ACLU of Northern California, among other events.