The organization was founded in 2004 as Software Freedom International, and formally registered as a charity in 2007.

[1] In 2015, the DFF became responsible for organizing the annual Document Freedom Day, which was initially started by the Free Software Foundation Europe.

The DFF had received tax-empt status in the United States under its original name in order to make donations tax-deductible.

Since then, the organization moved to Hong Kong before registering in Cambodia following the relocation of several board members.

As of 2023, the Digital Freedom Foundation is legally harboured under the Earth Cause Public Charity allowing donations in the US to be tax-deductible.