Center for Democracy & Technology
Recent News About Center for Democracy & Technology
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The Center for Democracy and Technology joined several other organizations in creating a Q&A document that delves into the Security and Freedom Enhancing (SAFE) Act of 2024, aimed at reforming existing loopholes concerning government access to private data without a warrant.According to the Q&A, the SAFE Act is designed to address two significant loopholes. It would mandate intelligence agencies to obtain a court order before searching Section 702 data for Americans' communications. Additionally, it would prohibit agencies from purchasing sensitive personal data from...
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The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has teamed up with the Brennan Center and other civil liberties, free speech, and New York organizations in a unified effort to call on Congress to safeguard the rights of protesters in the United States. The coalition is urging lawmakers to oppose any reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that does not address critical issues such as backdoor search and data broker loopholes.In a joint letter, the organizations emphasized the misuse of Section 702 for surveillance purposes,...
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House Intelligence Committee leads Mike Turner and Jim Himes have proposed an amendment to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that would significantly expand warrantless surveillance. This amendment, falsely portrayed as a minor definitional tweak, is actually being labeled as the largest expansion of FISA since its inception in 2008.Last December, the House Intelligence Committee introduced a plan to broaden the definition of "electronic communication service provider" in the FISA 702 bill, prompting concerns from various organizations...
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Google has proposed to deprecate third-party cookies in its Chrome browser while providing alternative methods for online advertising tools in efforts to enhance privacy on the web. According to a recent article, the move towards deprecation is seen as a positive step towards a more private online ecosystem that respects user privacy.In response to the deprecation of third-party cookies, a spokesperson mentioned, "Using technical measures in browsers to directly limit abusive online tracking is necessary, and, in the most widely used web browser, Google Chrome, long...
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CDT’s Tech Talk podcast recently featured a discussion on the topic of differential privacy. Rachel Cummings, Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at Columbia University, and Daniel Susser, Associate Professor for the Department of Information Science at Cornell University, delved into the nuances of this privacy-enhancing technique.Differential privacy has gained traction as a method to bolster privacy protections in data processing systems. However, as Rachel Cummings pointed out, there are underlying assumptions that need to be...
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In the realm of consumer privacy legislation and its implications on schools, a recent article has shed light on the potential unintended consequences that such laws could have on the education sector.The need for comprehensive privacy legislation to protect personal information, especially that of children, has been emphasized. The importance of data in supporting various functions within schools, such as class assignments and funding, has also been highlighted.Existing laws governing student data, such as FERPA and COPPA, provide specific protections that must be...
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The Meta Oversight Board recently released a Policy Advisory Opinion addressing the moderation of the word "shaheed" on Meta's platforms, emphasizing the need for cultural and linguistic sensitivity in content moderation policies. The term "shaheed" carries various meanings and is widely used across different languages, including Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Farsi, and Turkish.The Opinion highlighted that the term "shaheed" is the most heavily moderated word on Meta's platforms, particularly in connection to Meta's Dangerous Organization and Individuals (DOI) list. The Board...
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The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) and the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) have jointly expressed their opposition to the New York Senate’s budget bill, particularly concerning the inclusion of the New York Privacy Act. In a letter, the CDT and EPIC highlighted that the act does not go far enough in safeguarding the privacy of New Yorkers."We hope they remove it from the budget bill and continue improving it," stated the CDT and EPIC in their letter.The organizations are advocating for stronger measures to be put in place to ensure the protection...
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The Centre for Democracy & Technology Europe's monthly Tech Policy Brief for March 2024 has highlighted critical technology and internet policy issues under debate in Europe, the U.S., and internationally. The briefing aims to help shape policies that promote rights in the digital world. The team at CDT Europe, including Asha Allen, Silvia Lorenzo Perez, Laura Lazaro Cabrera, and David Klotsonis, is available in Brussels for further inquiries.One significant event mentioned in the brief is the DSA and Platform Regulation Conference held in Amsterdam, following the...
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Mar 27, 2024Educators across the nation are navigating the complexities of integrating generative artificial intelligence (AI) into the classroom, as highlighted in a recent report by the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT). The report sheds light on the challenges and opportunities presented by AI technology in educational settings.According to the CDT, teachers have experienced a significant shift in their interactions with generative AI since the previous school year. While there has been progress in terms of familiarity, training, and school policy development...
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The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has submitted comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in response to a Request for Comment regarding the risks and benefits of "open foundation models." This submission is part of a proceeding mandated by section 4.6 of the U.S. Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.In their submission, the CDT emphasized the importance of considering the potential policy approaches to these models and how they should be regulated. The CDT's...
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The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), alongside 10 other privacy and civil rights groups, is asking Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Avril Haines and other intelligence officials to consider reforming the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA 702). FISA 702 allows the U.S. government to conduct surveillance and collect intelligence with the intent to protect Americans from terrorists, spies and other threats.
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This week, the Center for Democracy & Technology issued a press release to applaud the Fourth Amendment Is Not for Sale Act's revival in the U.S. House of Representatives with a bipartisan group of cosponsor.
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Prominent CEOs from the messaging app industry participated in a panel discussion with Mallory Knodel, the chief technology officer at the Center for Democracy and Technology during RightsCon.
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The Center for Democracy and Technology recently released its recommendations to protect reproductive health data and privacy.
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The Center for Democracy and Technology and the National Network to End Domestic Violence are praising Apple and Google for releasing a joint standards proposal to prevent the unauthorized use of Bluetooth location tracking devices.
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The Center for Democracy and Technology has joined a coalition composed of 132 civil society organizations that are urging lawmakers to oppose Senate Bill 1207, also known as the EARN IT Act of 2023, as opponents say the bill threatens the First Amendment right of free speech.
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Days before the EARN IT Act is scheduled for a debate in the Senate Judiciary Committee, a coalition of civil society organizations is asking senators to oppose the bill.