Center for Democracy & Technology

“‘‘It betrayed the trust of all partners who were willing to share information at the time,’ said Geoff Hale, who worked on CISA’s elections team from the agency’s inception until last year. Now he specializes in election security at CDT [].” https://lnkd.in/egYUx2mP “Hale &others said the speech was one of several instances demonstrating the Trump administration’s reckless attitude toward sensitive data collected by CISA." https://lnkd.in/egYUx2mP

Partner with us today and support CDT! With your support, we are challenging threats to your privacy and free expression online, pushing back against unconstitutional surveillance efforts, and championing responsible AI practices at all levels of government. cdt.org/2026fall

Imagine a world without encryption: no private messages, no secure banking, no safe way for journalists or activists to communicate. Policymakers keep proposing to weaken encryption in the name of safety. But undermining encryption in any context puts people at risk everywhere. Recent polling, to be released on Wednesday, across several European countries reveals consistent opposition to measures that would compromise encrypted communication platforms and the expansion of surveillance frameworks. To reaffirm the importance of encryption in today’s digital society, join us this Wednesday 21 October for the Global Encryption Day Summit, co-organised by Center for Democracy & Technology, Internet Society, Mozilla and Global Partners Digital. 📅 Wed., Oct. 21 🕓 17h00-21h00 CET 💻 Online 🌍 In English, French, and Spanish 👇🏻 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gu_iGtdi #GED2026 Global Encryption Coalition

Imagine a world without encryption: no private messages, no secure banking, no safe way for journalists or activists to communicate. Join us Oct. 21 for the Global Encryption Day Summit. #GED2026 Register: https://lnkd.in/e9CSacGH

This fall, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) invites you to support us and help safeguard our rights and democracy. Join us with a contribution that is meaningful to you. https://cdt.org/2026fall

CDT’s Miranda Bogen: “Without really robust interventions that actually change the incentives that companies face in what they’re testing…and what they’re doing to fix problems, I don’t think we’re going to address the risks that are coming online.” https://lnkd.in/eGcnzMmp

Kids are finding ways around social media bans. But as CDT’s Aliya Bhatia and Michal Luria, alongside danah boyd, write in MIT Tech Review that’s a signal these policies aren’t working, not a reason to tighten restrictions. Stricter age gates risk pushing young people to less safe online spaces while compromising everyone’s privacy. Instead, policymakers should address harmful platform practices and give families flexible, user-controlled safety tools. https://lnkd.in/gbBdWS_y

“Tracking and sharing the histories of the videos people watch could negatively affect internet users’ behavior, according to Eric Null, director of the privacy and data project at the CDT.” https://lnkd.in/eegqxXhy CDT’s Null: “Watching videos is an expressive activity, and having those videos tracked, shared, and sold to third parties for various and potentially nefarious purposes will chill that expression.” https://lnkd.in/eegqxXhy Null: “The VPPA does cover free online pre-recorded videos, but the statute nonetheless has significant limitations in its scope that can only be rectified by updating our privacy laws. We could, of course, do so through a comprehensive privacy law that includes protections for video viewing.”

Recent developments in the tech policy world like Meta’s settlement over social media addiction claims and the Kid’s Online Safety Act are poised to add algorithmic controls and filters to social media platforms, especially for parental monitoring. These might include interrupting endless scrolling patterns, stricter content preferences and filters, and mandating hidden like counts. Social media users and parents have a surprisingly large number of algorithmic controls already. However, these tools often lack the transparency, privacy, and/or functionality necessary for users to have meaningful control over their social media algorithms and information ecosystems. Instead of adding platform features that continue to complicate user's engagement with content and algorithms online, I argue we should turn the spotlight back onto the opaque and complex algorithms that shape how we encounter news, politics, culture, and more. Check out my recent article from my time at the Center for Democracy & Technology, where I compare user algorithmic controls across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook: https://lnkd.in/eBVE_VvQ. Special thanks to all those involved in this project! Especially Michal Luria, Ph.D., Madeleine Daepp, Aliya Bhatia, and Tess Vartanian!

AI-generated non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) is a serious form of image-based sexual abuse, while mitigations may pose risks to expression. But how effective are AI companies’ efforts to prevent it? A new CDT report in collaboration with Hanna Barakat, OLY, Jaron M., Lucy Qin, Elissa R., Kate Ruane, & Becca Branum examines the policies and technical safeguards of seven major AI companies, identifying critical gaps in protection. The research finds that company policies often blur the line between consensual sexual expression and abuse, a conflation that risks both under-protecting victim-survivors and over-restricting lawful expression. Moreover, while technical safeguards lack rigorous testing to demonstrate their effectiveness. Protections applied at the product level also leave gaps when third-party developers adapt models, particularly open-weight models. Preventing AI-generated NCII requires more than written policies. Companies need clear definitions, rigorous testing, greater transparency, and safeguards that protect both survivors and civil liberties. Read the report: https://lnkd.in/e4NcKW83