Best Practices for Protecting Reproductive Health Data
This is a practical guide for company decision makers, product designers, developers, advocates, and concerned customers to understand the privacy concerns inherent to many data collection practices, and how companies can act.
Lost in Translation: Large Language Models in Non-English Content Analysis
A new report from CDT examines the new models that companies claim can analyze text across languages. The paper explains how these language models work and explores their capabilities and limits. Read the executive summary in Arabic, French, and Spanish.
Shocking New FBI Political Surveillance Disclosures Highlight Need for FISA Reform
Recently, new disclosures related to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (“FISA”) — a controversial warrantless surveillance tool set to expire at the end of this year— confirmed the worst fears of civil rights and civil liberties advocates, including CDT.
Crunch Time for TikTok and Americans’ Freedom of Speech
CDT’s Caitlin Vogus delves into why a nationwide ban in the U.S. on TikTok may violate the First Amendment and won’t protect users. Plus, a coalition letter from free speech and privacy organizations brings these issues to Congress.
Coalition Urges WH to Ensure Federal Support for Local Police Isn’t Used for Abortion Investigations
A CDT-led coalition of 54 civil and human rights, civil liberties, and reproductive rights organizations published a letter today urging the White House to make sure that support given by federal law enforcement to local police is not used to investigate and prosecute abortions.
New Research on How Disinfo and Online Abuse Hinder Women of Color Candidates
A new CDT Research study, based on Twitter data from the 2020 Congressional elections, finds that women of color candidates in U.S. elections encounter mis- and disinformation and the worst kinds of online harassment at higher rates than other candidates.
De-Weaponizing and Standardizing the Post-Election Audit
Post-election audits can be strongest way to generate public evidence that an election outcome was correct. But election deniers have weaponized post-election audits, calling for sham reviews that instead diminish confidence in elections. Our new report helps distinguish good post-election audits from bad ones & offers a path forward for improving post-election audits in 2024 & beyond.
Centering Disability in Technology Policy: Issue Landscape and Opportunities
Undertaken as a collaboration between the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) with the support of Freedman Consulting, this report is intended to help public interest organizations do more inclusive, effective work at the intersection of technology and disability issues in the United States.
Making Transparency Meaningful: A Framework for Policymakers
The term transparency is everywhere in policy debates. This paper sets forth a conceptual framework for transparency about practices that affect users’ speech, access to information, and privacy from government surveillance. It maps and briefly describes current and past efforts at transparency in four distinct categories.
Legal Loopholes and Data for Dollars: Law Enf. and Intel Agencies Buying Your Data from Brokers
This report between our Research + Security & Surveillance teams examines the concerning & rising practice of law enforcement & intelligence agencies sidestepping legal processes by obtaining data on Americans through commercial purchases from data brokers.
Our Work Has Never Been More Important
At the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), we believe in the power of the internet. Whether it’s facilitating entrepreneurial endeavors, providing access to new markets and opportunities, or creating a platform for free speech, the internet empowers, emboldens and equalizes people around the world.
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CDT’s 2021 Annual Report
In 2021 – at a pivotal time for democracy – CDT was at the forefront, advancing a tech policy agenda focused on equity and democratic values. Read more about how we took advantage of the year’s new beginnings in tech policy in our 2021 Annual Report.
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Members of the Global Encryption Coalition – spread across 99 countries – helping to respond rapidly to emerging threats to encryption. More.
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Members of CDT’s Task Force on Protecting Reproductive Health Info, helping to protect the privacy & access to info of people seeking reproductive health care. More.
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Who We Are
Our team of experts on both sides of the Atlantic has deep, cross-cutting knowledge and experience on issues relating to the internet and emerging technologies, including privacy, security, online expression, competition, and fostering healthy online civic space. We come from academia, private enterprise, government, and the nonprofit worlds to translate complex policy into action.
Check Out CDT’S Podcast – Tech Talk
Tech is all around you – and now, insights on the tech policies that are shaping your digital world can be added to your podcast playlist. You can find CDT’s Tech Talk on Spotify, SoundCloud, iTunes, and Google Play, as well as Stitcher and TuneIn.
Do the possibilities presented by an innovative, open, and free internet inspire you? Do you find yourself engaged in passionate discussions about privacy policies? Are you yearning to put your expertise to work on Internet neutrality legislation? If so, you might be a great fit for our team. View our open opportunities.