Supreme Court Abortion Ruling “Devastating” for Women’s Right to Privacy
CDT condemns the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org as profoundly misguided, with devastating impact for the right to privacy of people seeking reproductive care. State laws that criminalize abortion, or deputize private citizens to sue those who perform an abortion or aid/abet such a procedure, create frightening new incentives for law enforcement & civilians to seek out private info about patients seeking reproductive care & providers who support them.
CDT + Others Lead Supreme Court Brief Urging High Court to Stop Texas Social Media Law
CDT joined a coalition of human rights organizations, including EFF, the National Coalition Against Censorship, R Street Institute, the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, and the Wikimedia Foundation, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent Texas’s social media law from taking immediate effect.
A Closer Look at the Impact on Encryption, Metadata + More in Meta’s HRIA
In 2019, Facebook asked Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) to conduct a thorough human rights impact assessment (HRIA) of its plans to roll out end-to-end encryption for all of its messaging services. BSR recently published its report, along with now-Meta/WhatsApp’s response to the 45 recommendations.
CDT Joins Letter Urging White House, World Gov’ts to Ensure Internet Access to Russian People
CDT joined 35+ civil society orgs in calling on the U.S. and other governments to ensure that their sanctions policies do not result in people in Russia being cut off from the Internet. Internet access is vital to the safety and well-being of civilian populations in times of war, as well as times of peace.
Placing Equity at the Center of Health Care & Technology
CDT’s latest report identifies and suggests ways in which privacy protections around consumer health information can benefit everyone, including underrepresented and overlooked communities harmed by current health data practices.
CDT Leads Broad Coalition Urging Senate to Drop EARN IT Act
CDT is leading 60+ human rights, civil rights, & open Internet orgs – including ACLU, HRC, GLAAD, and others – in calling on Congress to oppose the fatally-flawed EARN IT Act. It threatens encryption & freedom of expression while making it harder to protect children from online abuse.
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.
Outside Looking In: Approaches to Content Moderation in End-to-End Encrypted Systems
A new front has opened up in the Crypto Wars: how providers of end-to-end encrypted communications services can and should moderate unwanted content. This report finds effective ways to moderate problematic content within end-to-end encrypted systems without sacrificing users’ fundamental rights to privacy, free expression, & security.
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.
90+
Number of organizations that sent a letter urging Apple to abandon its plans to build surveillance capabilities into its iPhones & other products. Read.
5
Number of email newsletters around bubbling policy areas like student privacy & equity, AI, and more. Sign up.
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Who We Are
We are a team of experts with deep knowledge of issues pertaining to the internet, privacy, security, technology, and intellectual property. We come from academia, private enterprise, government, and the non-profit 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.