Maria Xynou is a co-founder and director of the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), a nonprofit organization that provides free software tools and open data to empower the public to monitor and respond to internet censorship worldwide.
She also serves on the board of directors of the Tor Project. During the 2024–2025 academic year, Maria was a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center, where she conducted a longitudinal study on the evolving landscape of global internet censorship. Over the past decade, Maria has led OONI’s strategic growth, helping OONI to evolve from a small FOSS project to a nonprofit organization with global reach and impact. In 2016, she created the OONI Partnership Program and has since established partnerships with more than 50 digital rights organizations to monitor and respond to internet censorship around the world. She has published more than 70 research reports documenting internet censorship worldwide, many of which have received international press coverage and which have supported a wide range of research and advocacy efforts. In 2023, Maria received the Free and Open Communications on the Internet (FOCI) Community Award, recognizing the impact of her work in the field of internet freedom on the wider community.
Previously, Maria worked with Tactical Tech, where she investigated the data industry, launched a project which measured global online tracking, created numerous privacy and digital security resources, and facilitated digital security workshops for human rights defenders. She also worked with India’s Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), where she investigated India’s surveillance industry, created the India Privacy Monitor project, and helped organize five multi-stakeholder roundtable meetings for the discussion of a draft privacy bill. Since 2013, Maria has presented her work at numerous international conferences and events. She holds an MSc in Security Studies from the University College London (UCL).
