Nabiha Syed

Nabiha Syed is a technology executive and media lawyer whose career focuses on ensuring that technology serves the public interest. Syed co-founded the Media Freedom and Information Access legal clinic at Yale Law School, where she is a graduate and visiting fellow. She has been recognized by Forbes Magazine and the New York Law Journal for her work in free speech and media law, and was a finalist for the Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award from the International Bar Association.

Syed’s legal career spans work at the intersection of media, technology, and civil liberties. She served as the First Amendment Fellow at The New York Times and led BuzzFeed’s libel and newsgathering matters, including the defense of several high-profile libel lawsuits. Her experience includes addressing legal access issues at Guantanamo Bay, advising on the publication of hacked and leaked materials, and counseling documentary filmmakers through the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. She has also delivered the Salant Lecture on Freedom of the Press at Harvard Kennedy School.

Syed became CEO of The Markup, a journalism nonprofit focused on technology’s impact on society. During her tenure, The Markup’s work was referenced by Congress, inspired class action lawsuits, received a national Murrow Award and a Loeb Award, and was recognized as Most Innovative by Fast Company. The organization developed a real-time privacy inspector with millions of users and secured significant funding from major philanthropic organizations. Syed has also advised global leaders on free speech and was nominated to the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.

Syed is the executive director of Mozilla Foundation, where she leads advocacy and philanthropy programs focused on digital rights, AI governance, and public interest technology. She oversees a staff of more than 100 full-time employees and manages an annual budget of $30 million. Syed’s work addresses the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence, privacy, and technology policy.

In addition to her executive roles, Syed serves on the boards of the Scott Trust, which owns The Guardian, and the Mellon Foundation. She advises ex/ante, a venture fund dedicated to agentic technology, and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s AI Governance Alliance. Syed has taught media law at Columbia Journalism School. Her career spans First Amendment cases, investigative journalism, and global technology governance, positioning her as a leading figure at the intersection of technology, law, and civil society.