Center for Democracy & Technology
Recent News About Center for Democracy & Technology
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The rise of Generative AI in the world of technology, especially within the last year, has led to numerous questions and concerns regarding its responsible governance in policy spaces across the political spectrum. One such debated question is whether Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act 1996 applies to outputs created by Generative AI systems. In 2023, Senator Josh Hawley introduced legislation intended to exclude Generative AI systems from the purview of Section 230. In the same year, Senator Ron Wyden and former Representative Chris Cox, authors of Section 230,...
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In today’s digital age, social media and online platforms have become integral to our lives, especially for young people. But how do these online spaces affect LGBTQ+ youth differently from their heterosexual peers? A recent study explores this question, examining the frequency and severity of online risks, the impact on mental health, and the specific nature of these experiences for LGBTQ+ youth based on their private social media interactions.
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As the new European Union institutions prepare to take office following the EU elections, the growing threat of spyware has become a pressing concern that requires immediate attention from policymakers. Recognizing this urgent need for action, the Centre for Democracy & Technology Europe (CDT Europe) has led the creation of a civil society coordination group dedicated to addressing the misuse of spyware within the EU. The group comprises various civil society organizations and journalists’ associations committed to safeguarding fundamental rights, transparency, and...
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(BRUSSELS) — Today, the Centre for Democracy & Technology Europe, alongside 30 civil society and journalists’ organizations, published a joint statement on the use of surveillance spyware in the EU and beyond. The coalition is calling on incoming EU institutions to take necessary regulatory measures to address threats to fundamental rights posed by spyware in the new legislative term. This includes a ban on the production, sale, and use of spyware that grossly violates fundamental rights and for which strict safeguards would never be sufficient to mitigate harms caused to...
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CDT Europe has published a joint statement with a coalition of civil society organizations, urging EU institutions to regulate spyware technologies in the new legislative term.
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Around 75% of internet users are from non-English speaking countries in the Majority World, yet social media companies allocate most of their content moderation resources to English-speaking populations in the West. This disparity has led to human rights violations and unjust moderation outcomes in the Majority World. Researchers from these regions have focused on boosting automated detection of harmful content in local languages that are often underrepresented and lack robust technological support.
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Election officials face an increasingly demanding set of responsibilities, from protecting their systems from cybersecurity threats to managing and responding to emergencies. At the same time, election officials increasingly report facing threats and harassment, often motivated by mis- and disinformation, which may be contributing to increasing turnover rates. These challenges are compounded by limited budgets for training staff on new and emerging threats.
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Earlier in July 2024, CDT Chief Technology Officer Mallory delivered a comprehensive overview of the state of human rights considerations in internet governance and standards at the HOPE XV (Hackers On Planet Earth) conference in Queens, New York. Her talk focused on recent and ongoing developments at the “I-star” organizations (the top-level governance bodies such as ICANN, IETF, IEEE, W3C, and ITU) and how they could affect the daily lives of billions of internet users around the world.
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Congress recently expanded the types of entities that can be compelled to assist with surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA 702) to significantly increase potential surveillance. Key legislators had promised to revisit the types of entities subject to FISA 702 directives. The Senate has now proposed to do so but in a way that would make secret the scope of entities subject to FISA 702.
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CDT research indicates that parents desire more involvement in decision-making about how schools use data and technology (EdTech) to educate their children. However, schools often fail to provide opportunities for meaningful parental input. Concurrently, parents are demanding greater visibility and rights concerning school administrators' interactions with educational services beyond just EdTech. This demand has led to the introduction and sometimes passage of federal and state parental rights bills.
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Over the past quarter-century, behaviorally targeted advertising has become a dominant business model for online publishers, social media platforms, mobile apps, and other web-based content, products, and services. A vast industry dedicated to collecting, analyzing, and monetizing data about virtually every aspect of people’s lives forms the backbone of this ecosystem. The global digital advertising market is projected to reach US$740.3 billion in 2024.
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In an age where personal data is regularly collected and tracked online, it can feel like our brain is the last truly private place. While people are generally aware that their clicks, likes, and scrolls are recorded and stored, many take solace in the idea that their thoughts remain private. Yet, our “neural” or “mental” privacy is being threatened by the introduction of commercial products that measure and track our brain signals. These brain-based technologies record electrical activity and motor function in the brain, which companies might use to try to discern...
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As digital natives, teenagers are among the most active users of online platforms. According to recent statistics, approximately 95% of teenagers and 40% of children between the ages of eight and twelve engage with social media in the U.S. While social media platforms offer opportunities for connection, learning, support-seeking, and entertainment—necessary for teens’ development—they also expose young users to risks such as cyberbullying, online harassment, discrimination, and even child sexual exploitation.
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A chair is for sitting. A clock is for telling time. To look at these objects is to understand their primary use. Until recently, AI was, in most cases, a similar technology where design and use were closely linked. A facial recognition system recognized faces, a spellchecker checked spelling. Today though, with the advent of powerful “transformer models,” a single AI application can (at least in appearance) be used to countless ends — to write poetry, evaluate a resume, identify bird species, and diagnose diseases. As possible use cases become broader, so do the potential...
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Google's recent announcement to abandon its plan to phase out third-party cookies in its Chrome browser has sparked disappointment among privacy advocates. Initially announced in 2019, the Privacy Sandbox aimed to replace third-party cookies with more privacy-respecting mechanisms. Instead, Google now plans to introduce a new experience in Chrome that will require users to make informed choices about third-party cookies.
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Transparency is a cornerstone of many technology policy discussions. People rely on social media and similar platforms for nearly every aspect of modern life, including receiving and sharing information related to medical care, organizing social movements, petitioning the government, and making a living. Users are subject to policy choices made by platforms regarding what information to host and prioritize, making transparency into these policies paramount for engendering trust and fostering accountability when platforms deviate from their stated intentions or fail to meet...
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Human rights advocates, including the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), have long argued that the design of internet and web technologies significantly impacts their ability to defend the rights and well-being of all people, particularly marginalized groups. A recent report from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) supports this view and provides recommendations on how technical standard-setting can address challenges to broad participation and effective respect for human rights.
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Policymakers in Europe are diligently working on artificial intelligence (AI) regulations, and this bulletin aims to provide updates on related laws and policies, as well as their implications for Europe, fundamental rights, and democracy.
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The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has released a brief titled "Election Integrity Recommendations for Generative AI Developers." The document comes at a critical time as over 80 countries, representing more than half of the world’s population, are set to hold elections in 2024. This year has been dubbed the 'First AI Election' due to the proliferation of generative AI tools that pose significant cybersecurity and information integrity challenges.
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The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has expressed approval of a report released by the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The report evaluates the risks, benefits, and potential policy approaches to openness in artificial intelligence (AI).