Center for Democracy & Technology
Recent News About Center for Democracy & Technology
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CDT hosts symposium on free speech challenges posed by artificial intelligence
On June 24, government officials, civil society representatives, and academics convened at the "Artificial Intelligence & The First Amendment: Protecting Free Speech in the AI Era" symposium hosted by CDT and The Future of Free Speech. Experts discussed the importance of free expression considerations in regulatory debates around AI.
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Experts urge UN leaders to maintain inclusive internet governance
A group of technical experts involved in the development and maintenance of the Internet and the Web, including CDT CTO Mallory Knodel, published an open letter today. The letter calls on the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General and the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology to "uphold the bottom-up, collaborative and inclusive model of Internet governance that has served the world for the past half century" as part of the upcoming Global Digital Compact (GDC).
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CDT publishes resources on health privacy two years after Dobbs decision
This week marked the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated federal protections for abortion. The ruling has highlighted the importance of digital privacy in defending gender justice.
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CDT Europe hosts workshop on advancing fundamental rights under new AI regulation
On June 18, CDT Europe held a closed civil society workshop to discuss advancing fundamental rights in the implementation of the AI Act. The event brought together representatives from key civil society organizations to brainstorm opportunities and strategic approaches to ensure human rights remain central during the roadmap to implementation.
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Organizations urge amendments to KOSA to prevent censorship risks
CDT, along with ACLU, Fight for the Future, and the Open Technology Institute, submitted a letter to the House Energy & Commerce Committee today. The organizations urged amendments to the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) to address concerns that the bill could lead to censorship of valuable speech and undermine online privacy rights.
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Civil liberties groups join amicus brief challenging federal TikTok ban
Yesterday, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) joined an amicus brief led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), supporting the First Amendment rights of TikTok users in the constitutional challenge to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act in TikTok v. Garland.
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CDT’s Tech Talk discusses Paul Gowder’s book on social media governance
The latest episode of CDT's Tech Talk, hosted by Jamal Magby, delves into the intersection of technology and Internet policy. Available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, Stitcher, and TuneIn, the podcast aims to clarify complex policies and their implications for everyday life.
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Europe gears up for comprehensive implementation of Artificial Intelligence Act
Policymakers in Europe are diligently working on matters related to artificial intelligence, and updates are being closely monitored. This coverage includes laws and policies pertaining to AI, as well as their implications for Europe, fundamental rights, and democracy. Interested parties can sign up for CDT Europe's AI Bulletin via email through CDT’s website.
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Civil groups urge Congress to restore civil rights protections in APRA
Today, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) joined numerous civil society organizations in urging the House Energy & Commerce Committee to reinstate civil rights protections to the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA) before proceeding with a markup of the bill.
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Splintercon Brussels addresses connectivity challenges during complete internet shutdowns
Last week, a group of internet technologists and social movement activists gathered in Brussels to simulate an internet shutdown. This "blockathon" was a technical demonstration designed to show what the network looks like to engineers when there is no network. Participants were encouraged to attempt breaking out of the simulated shut-down network while discussing the privacy and ethics of creating such a censorship test-bed.
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States' varied responses post-Dobbs ruling examined in new CDT report
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has released a report titled “Two Years After Dobbs: An Analysis of State Laws to Protect Reproductive Healthcare Information from Interstate Investigations and Prosecutions.” Authored by CDT interns Irene Kim and Divya Vatsa, the document addresses the legal landscape following the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision in Dobbs to overturn Roe v. Wade.
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Organizations urge Biden to renominate Sharon Bradford Franklin as PCLOB Chair
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), along with 15 other organizations, has urged President Biden to renominate Sharon Bradford Franklin as Chair of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB). Ms. Bradford Franklin’s term as PCLOB Chair has expired, and her holdover capacity ends in January. Historically, vacancies within PCLOB have led to periods of reduced effectiveness or dormancy.
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Coalition urges protection of end-to-end encryption in Australia's Online Safety Act review
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has joined a coalition urging the Australian government to protect end-to-end encryption during the review process of the Online Safety Act. The joint statement emphasizes the critical role of end-to-end encryption in ensuring safety, security, and privacy for millions in Australia.
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Panel underscores civil society's role in internet human rights
Last month, CDT previewed its platform at the World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS), a United Nations-sponsored meeting focused on the importance of human rights considerations in internet standards. The panel emphasized how privacy, accessibility, and freedom of expression are vital for democratic and equitable digital governance. The discussion centered on incorporating these core human rights considerations into the processes to develop internet technical standards.
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CDT files amicus brief on Section 230's role in products liability litigation
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has submitted an amicus brief in the case of Doe v. Grinder, currently before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The case examines the interplay between Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which offers protections to interactive computer services (ICSs), and product liability claims against these services.
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Organizations oppose adding Pro Codes Act to defense authorization bill
The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) has joined 20 other organizations in a letter to the House Rules Committee, opposing an effort to add a bill to the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill in question would extend copyright coverage to standards even after they are incorporated by reference into a regulation and thus become enforceable law.
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New partnership focuses on digital identity guidelines for public benefits programs
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Digital Benefits Network (DBN) at Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation have announced a new collaboration. The initiative aims to develop digital identity guidelines to support public benefits programs, including those that assist beneficiaries in accessing and paying for food, housing, medical care, and other basic living expenses.
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Senate committee advances bills addressing harmful impacts of artificial intelligence on elections
On May 15, 2024, the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules & Administration marked up and advanced three bills addressing the role of AI in elections: the Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act, the AI Transparency in Elections Act, and the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act. The first two of these bills aim to address some risks posed by AI in elections, though they could benefit from improvements. The third bill raises significant constitutional and implementation concerns.
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Center endorses DEFIANCE Act targeting AI-generated non-consensual images
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has endorsed the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits (DEFIANCE) Act, urging Congress to pass the legislation. The bipartisan, bicameral bill aims to clarify the existing Violence Against Women Act's federal civil cause of action for nonconsensual sharing of intimate images to include victims of AI-generated images.
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CDT submits feedback on NIST’s draft report on digital content transparency
On May 31, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) submitted its comments to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) regarding NIST's draft report titled "Reducing Risks Posed by Synthetic Content: An Overview of Technical Approaches to Digital Content Transparency." The CDT commended the draft for its comprehensive overview of both the risks and benefits associated with current and emerging content-labeling techniques and synthetic content detection methods.