Center for Democracy & Technology

30 years strong thanks to the support of our community! For the past three decades, the Center for Democracy & Technology has been at the forefront of defending civil liberties and advancing digital rights in an ever-evolving technological landscape. Since our founding on December 6, 1994, we’ve worked tirelessly to protect freedom of expression, privacy, and innovation online. As we celebrate this milestone, we’re so grateful for CDT’s founders, alumni, and the broad community that has shaped CDT’s journey and impact. Together, we’ve tackled some of the most critical issues in #TechPolicy, from free speech online to digital #privacy, and have been there for the defining moments in internet history: ✨ 1996: CDT led efforts against the Communications Decency Act and successfully argued before the #SupremeCourt in Reno v. ACLU. ✨ 2001: In the wake of 9/11, CDT stood strong, advocating for privacy and #CivilLiberties against the sweeping #surveillance provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. ✨ 2004: CDT embraced the growing role of the internet in politics, launching Youth04, a grassroots campaign encouraging young voters to engage in the 2004 election.  ✨ 2009: As people shared ever greater portions of their lives online, CDT launched Take Back Your Privacy, a campaign to mobilize support for comprehensive federal privacy legislation and establish clear rights for consumers and clear rules for companies that collect personal information. ✨ 2013: In response to Edward Snowden’s revelations, CDT continued to push for legislative reforms to strengthen digital privacy and security. ✨ 2018: CDT helped establish the Santa Clara Principles to set guidelines for transparency and accountability in #ContentModeration on social media platforms—standards that continue to influence global tech policy. ✨ 2022: With the rise of #AI, CDT was at the forefront of policy efforts in the U.S. and EU to advance responsible, rights-respecting innovation – and launched the AI Governance Lab as a leading source of public interest technical expertise. CDT’s leadership in these and many other moments of tech history wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions of our incredible community. Thank you for your dedication and partnership over the years! Keep an eye out for more details on how you can stay involved as we celebrate our 30th Anniversary throughout 2025! cc: Jerry Berman, Nuala O'Connor, Lisa A. Hayes, Christopher Calabrese, Alexandra Reeve Givens, Ari Schwartz, Alan Davidson, Deirdre Mulligan, James Dempsey, Jonah Seiger.

“A research in 2024 by CDT found that a quarter of the responses from the top 5 LLMs including ChatGPT-4 and Gemini 1.5 Pro are either incorrect or lacked vital nuances.” https://lnkd.in/emsmq9KJ Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/eg298Ejk

NEW: Today, CDT’s Ariana Aboulafia published a report with American Association of People with Disabilities that provides recommendations for community members, the private sector, and state/local/federal agencies on how to build a disability-inclusive #AI ecosystem. The report focuses on ways that AI and algorithmic technologies are implemented in the fields of employment, education, public benefits, information and communication technology, healthcare, transportation, and the criminal legal system – and, how to center people with disabilities in each of these systems. More, here: https://lnkd.in/efPgqVXY

Democracy relies on the freedom of the press. The Trump Administration's effort to pressure news outlets is increasing, directly counter to the Administration's claimed commitment to free speech. Our team at Center for Democracy & Technology weighed in on the latest attack, the Federal Communications Commission's reinstatement of a frivolous complaint against CBS. "The FCC’s recent attempts to coerce broadcasters into delivering approved messages and its campaign to undermine broadcasters’ editorial discretion are antithetical to the First Amendment. They also ultimately harm broadcast viewers and listeners who expect broadcasters to exercise their independent judgment in the content of their programming. The FCC must abandon this unconstitutional campaign immediately and recommit to its principled defense of broadcasters’ First Amendment rights. Otherwise, the future of independent broadcast journalism will be at risk." Read our full submission here: https://lnkd.in/ejNDkYdw And letter from over a dozen First Amendment & other civil society organizations to FCC Chair Brendan Carr here: https://lnkd.in/exaVfQe6 with CDT's Kate Ruane, Becca Branum, Samir Jain

📢 Exciting news! CDT is thrilled to welcome Ambassador Karen Kornbluh as a Visiting Fellow. Kornbluh brings extensive experience in tech policy, global governance, and democracy. Welcome aboard! 👏 This fellowship is made possible through a grant from the Knight Foundation Federal Alumni Fellowship Fund at The Miami Foundation. We’re excited to collaborate with Ambassador Kornbluh to advance policies that protect democracy, privacy, and human rights! 🙌 https://lnkd.in/eue3AmAi

“But critics of the bill, [] like Public Knowledge, CDT, American Library Association, & Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), worry [the No Fakes Act] as written introduces too much regulation. In a letter to the senators last year, they warned it could endanger First Amendment rights & enable misinfo, while resulting in a ‘torrent’ of lawsuits.” https://lnkd.in/eUctC6Kk From the letter: “We understand and share the serious concerns many have expressed about the ways digital replica technology can be misused, with harms that can impact ordinary people as well as performers and celebrities.” https://lnkd.in/e6uHPwgc “These harms deserve the serious attention they are receiving, and preventing them may well involve legislation to fill gaps in existing law. Unfortunately, the recently-introduced NO FAKES bill goes too far in introducing an entirely new federal IP right.” https://lnkd.in/e6uHPwgc

Exciting news! CDT's Miranda Bogen, Director of our AI Governance Lab, will speak at the 15th Annual Privacy Papers for Policymakers, hosted by Future of Privacy Forum. She'll join global policymakers & privacy experts to discuss leading privacy research. https://lnkd.in/ehAtgzBi 📅 Date: Wed, March 12, 2025 ⏰ Time: 5:30–8:30 PM EST 📍 Location: FPF HQ, Washington, D.C. This event is free & open to the public! Register here to join the conversation: https://lnkd.in/gpBeDCzg

“The Broadcast Freedom & Independence Act would not alter the FCC’s authority to act on violations related to obscenity, lottery, fraud, or incitement under the 1A. The legislation has already gained support from [] the ACLU, Public Knowledge, Free Press Action, & CDT.” https://lnkd.in/edyVVaPU Read the full comments here: https://lnkd.in/ekyPpc7z

Today, CDT joined 17 civil society orgs in calling on the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to preserve agency #AI use case inventories. The groups urge OMB and OSTP to ensure that agencies continue reporting detailed information about their use and governance of AI systems as a critical tool for advancing transparency, industry engagement, and efficiency in the government’s use of AI. https://lnkd.in/ewCih9cq

CISA’s election security review ends today. If the Agency is serious about its core mission, it must continue its core cybersecurity, physical security & foreign threat intel sharing work to protect critical #elections infrastructure. Protecting election infrastructure is vital to U.S. national security. In 2024, foreign adversaries hit election offices with DDoS attacks, ransomware & more. CISA’s free tools help officials detect & stop threats. Cutting this support would leave #elections vulnerable to foreign interference. https://lnkd.in/eh3MARjh