# Marc Rotenberg Marc Rotenberg (born April 20, 1960) is an American lawyer and privacy advocate, founder of the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the Center for AI and Digital Policy, known for his work on AI governance and civil liberties. Marc Rotenberg (born April 20, 1960) is an American lawyer, privacy advocate, and a leading voice on artificial intelligence policy and civil liberties. He is the founder and executive director of the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP), an independent non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to the governance of [artificial intelligence](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/artificial-intelligence) and the protection of democratic values. Rotenberg previously co-founded and led the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) for over two decades, shaping privacy and surveillance debates in the United States and internationally. Rotenberg's career spans law, technology, and public interest advocacy. He has testified before the U.S. Congress, the 9/11 Commission, the European Parliament, UNESCO, and the OECD, and has contributed to international frameworks for AI regulation, including the Universal Guidelines for AI. He also teaches privacy law and AI at Georgetown University. ## Early life and education Rotenberg was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He earned an A.B. in Social Studies and Computer Science from Harvard College, where he was a founding editor of the Harvard International Review and a teaching fellow in computer science. He then received a J.D. from Stanford Law School, serving as an articles editor of the Stanford Law Review and president of the Stanford Public Interest Law Foundation. He later obtained an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from Georgetown University Law Center. ## Career After law school, Rotenberg served as counsel to U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy on the Senate Judiciary Committee, focusing on law, technology, and civil liberties. During the 1980s and early 1990s, he participated in public-interest technology initiatives, including Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility and the Computers, Freedom, and Privacy conference. He also launched the Public Interest Computer Association to help non-profits use computer technology. In 1994, Rotenberg co-founded the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a public-interest research organization in Washington, D.C. As president and executive director, he led advocacy on privacy, surveillance, consumer protection, cybersecurity, and government transparency. Under his leadership, EPIC pursued litigation, Freedom of Information Act requests, and policy initiatives related to emerging technologies. Rotenberg left EPIC in 2020, with the board citing his contributions to privacy advocacy. ### Center for AI and Digital Policy In 2020, Rotenberg founded the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP), an independent non-profit focused on AI governance and democratic values. CAIDP conducts research, policy analysis, training, and international advocacy on AI regulation, algorithmic accountability, and human rights. By 2025, the organization had a global research network spanning more than 120 countries and published annual comparative assessments of national AI policies. Rotenberg has been a prominent advocate for international AI governance frameworks, contributing to the Universal Guidelines for AI, a human-rights-based framework endorsed by experts worldwide. He has served on the OECD AI Group of Experts and advised governments and international institutions on AI policy. ## Research and policy work Rotenberg's work focuses on privacy law, data protection, government transparency, cybersecurity, and AI governance. He has testified before the U.S. Congress, the 9/11 Commission, the European Parliament, UNESCO, and the OECD. He has also participated in expert panels for organizations including the OECD, UNESCO, the International Telecommunication Union, and the Council of Europe. His advocacy has influenced debates on [machine learning](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/machine-learning) and [generative AI](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/generative-ai), emphasizing the need for human rights and accountability in the development of [large language models](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/large-language-model) and other AI systems. He has called for robust oversight of AI technologies used in surveillance, hiring, and public services. ## Publications Rotenberg has authored, edited, or co-edited numerous books and reference works on privacy law and technology policy, including: - *The AI Policy Sourcebook* (2025) - *Privacy and Society* (2016, with Anita Allen) - *Privacy in the Modern Age: The Search for Solutions* (2015) - *The Privacy Law Sourcebook* - *Information Privacy Law* - *Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws* ## Honors and awards Rotenberg has received several awards for his work, including the ACM Policy Award (2021), the ABA Cyberspace Law Excellence Award, the World Technology Award for Law, the Norbert Wiener Award for Social and Professional Responsibility, and the Georgetown University Vicennial Medal for Distinguished Service. He is a member of the American Bar Foundation, the American Law Institute, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the European Law Institute. ## Personal life Rotenberg grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. His brother, Jonathan Rotenberg, founded the Boston Computer Society. Outside his professional work, Rotenberg is an accomplished chess player and won the Washington, D.C., chess championship in 2007, 2008, and 2010. He has promoted chess education initiatives in public schools and is a licensed United States Coast Guard captain. --- Source: https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/marc-rothenberg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Last updated: 2026-09-12T22:24:46.944686+00:00