Lance Cottrell develops Internet privacy systems. Cottrell launched the first commercial privacy service, Anonymizer.com, in 1995 while studying towards a PhD in Astrophysics at the University of California, San Diego. Cottrell was the original coder for the Mixmaster anonymous remailer and designed version 1 Mixmaster Protocol). Cottrell established the Kosovo Privacy Project which, using internet anonymizer services, allowed individuals to report from the 1999 Kosovo war zone without fear of retaliation.
Cottrell's company Anonymizer Inc. was acquired by Abraxas Corporation in April 2008 and Cottrell now serves as Chief Scientist for the company.
Cottrell is a noted privacy advocate and has appeared in dozens of interviews on radio, TV, and in print, as well as speaking at numerous conferences.