At a time of significant technical and policy changes, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) continues to focus on promoting civil rights and liberties in the digital age. The organization emphasizes its dedication to defending users against efforts to control constitutionally-protected speech.
CDT has expressed strong opposition to the Trump Administration's decision to collect social media handles from individuals applying for immigration benefits. They argue that this move undermines free expression protections under the First Amendment. "As we’ve already seen, this kind of surveillance not only enables the Administration to engage in viewpoint-based enforcement — such as revocation of student visas for protected speech — but also has a profound chilling effect even on those who aren’t directly targeted," CDT said.
In collaboration with civil society partners, CDT defended press freedom and advocated for journalist protections following a March 14 Executive Order targeting the U.S. Agency for Global Media. They highlighted the agency's essential role in news dissemination and democracy preservation worldwide.
CDT also supported editorial discretion by urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to cease its unconstitutional pressure on CBS and reverse its increasingly politicized agenda. In response to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) request regarding technology platform censorship, CDT, along with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, explained how content moderation can enhance online speech and user experiences. They cautioned against FTC actions favoring specific perspectives and suggested fostering competition in social media markets instead.
Additionally, CDT raised concerns about changes undermining government surveillance checks, including what they describe as illegal firings by the Trump Administration within the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB). A federal judge later confirmed these firings were illegal. CDT has been vocal about issues related to the Department of Government Efficiency’s access to government information, highlighting cybersecurity and privacy risks.
The organization advised Congress members on strengthening privacy laws, joined calls for taxpayer privacy protection, and urged companies processing SNAP benefits to resist unlawful data requests from the federal government.
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