Blog | Center for Digital Democracy

Safe Harbor on Data Declared Illegal: Message to U.S.—Time to Enact Privacy Law that Protects Americans and Supports Global Data Protection

By: Jeff Chester | Oct 6 2015

Today’s historic decision by the European Court of Justice, which overturned the purposely ineffective “Safe Harbor” deal enabling data to flow to the U.S., is very welcome. As one reads the court’s findings, it’s clear that for the EU, fundamental and human rights include the right to have your personal privacy protected. That means from both governmental surveillance (such as the NSA and other intelligence agencies) and also with commercial Internet companies—as Google or Facebook.
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U.S. Public Interest Group and Center for Digital Democracy Urge FTC to Protect Consumers from Unfair Lead Generation Practices in Comments filed for Oct. workshop

By: Jeff Chester | Sep 19 2015

The FTC requested that comments for the upcoming October 30, 2015 workshop on lead generation be submitted by September 20th so that issues could be addressed during the sessions. USPIRG and CDD submitted initial comments, which are attached below and also summarized. One of our findings from a recent analysis of the online "lead gen" marketplace was that digital industry leaders--including Google and Facebook--engage and support online lead generation in ways that raise substantive consumer protection concerns. USPIRG and CDD have been working for the last several years to encourage pol
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Big Data, Digital Marketing, and Privacy: Antitrust & Competition Issues for the 21st Century

By: Jeff Chester | Jul 7 2015

The digital data “arms race” that is propelling major companies around the world to expand their data collection, consumer profiling, and online targeting capabilities illustrates how information from and about us drives the commercial (and increasingly political) marketplaces.
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Opening up the “Black Box” of Digital Marketing and the Role of Programmatic Advertising

By: Jeff Chester | Jun 12 2015

There is a growing and much needed debate on the role that algorithms and machine-driven decision making play in our lives.
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Protecting Consumers from Data-driven and Cross-device “Native” Advertising

By: Jeff Chester | May 6 2015

So-called “native advertising” ─where advertiser-produced or –directed content is designed to blend in with online editorial information ─ is quickly becoming a dominant way American consumers receive marketing. Marketers in the U.S. spent nearly $8 billion last year on native ads (up $3 billion from 2013), which is expected to rise to $21 billion by2018.¹ Native ads are where the “format and the tone match that of a publisher’s original editorial content.²
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How YouTube, Big Data and Big Brands Mean Trouble For Kids and Parents

By: Alyce Myatt | Apr 9 2015

There is a “digital gold rush” underway to cash in on young people’s passion for interactive media. Google and other media and ad companies are working to transform kids’ clicks and views into bundles of cash and burgeoning brand loyalty.
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Network Neutrality, Protecting Privacy & placing limits on the power of the "old" &"new" media: Net Freedom

By: Jeff Chester | Mar 8 2015

The Internet and our digital media are quietly becoming a pervasive and manipulative interactive surveillance system. Leading U.S.
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Leading U.S. Consumer & Privacy Groups call on Pres. Obama to Revise Privacy Bill; Stronger Safeguards Needed

By: Jeff Chester | Mar 3 2015

The letter (attached) was sent today to Pres. Obama.
Jeff Chester, CDD's executive director, explained that the Administration's proposal--released last Friday--fails to give consumers the control over their data the President promised. It was signed by:
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Promising Start by White House on Privacy; But will it empower people over Big Data in the digital era? Role of TTIP/trade

By: Jeff Chester | Jan 12 2015

We await to review the text of proposed privacy bills announced today by President Obama. Next month will mark the third anniversary of the promise by the White House to release "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights" legislation. The "Bill of Rights" for privacy is supposed to empower an individual to have serious control over how their data is gathered and used. While the "Bill of Rights" incorporates high-minded principles, we fear that at the end of
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Safe Harbor on Data Declared Illegal: Message to U.S.—Time to Enact Privacy Law that Protects Americans and Supports Global Data Protection

U.S. Public Interest Group and Center for Digital Democracy Urge FTC to Protect Consumers from Unfair Lead Generation Practices in Comments filed for Oct. workshop

Big Data, Digital Marketing, and Privacy: Antitrust & Competition Issues for the 21st Century

Opening up the “Black Box” of Digital Marketing and the Role of Programmatic Advertising

Protecting Consumers from Data-driven and Cross-device “Native” Advertising

How YouTube, Big Data and Big Brands Mean Trouble For Kids and Parents

Network Neutrality, Protecting Privacy & placing limits on the power of the "old" &"new" media: Net Freedom

Leading U.S. Consumer & Privacy Groups call on Pres. Obama to Revise Privacy Bill; Stronger Safeguards Needed

Promising Start by White House on Privacy; But will it empower people over Big Data in the digital era? Role of TTIP/trade

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