Need To Know | Center for Digital Democracy

Why Californians Should Vote No on Proposition 24

By: Katharina Kopp | Sep 24 2020

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The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) announced today its opposition to the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), also known as Proposition 24, which will appear on the November 2020 California general election ballot. CDD has concluded that Prop 24 does not sufficiently strengthen Californians’ privacy and may, in fact, set a new, low, and thus dangerous standard for privacy protection in the U.S.
Authors

Katharina Kopp
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Groups Oppose SAFE Data Act

Sep 23 2020

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Groups Tell FTC to Investigate Discriminatory Data Practices and Impact in any of the FTC's Industry Investigations

Sep 17 2020

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Data Governance for Young People in the Commercialized Digital Environment

By: Kathryn C. Montgomery, Jeff Chester, and Katharina Kopp | Sep 10 2020

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A report for UNICEF's Global Governance of Children's Data Project
TikTok (also known by its Chinese name, Dǒuyīn) has quickly captured the interest of children, adolescents, and young adults in 150 countries around the world. The mobile app enables users to create short video clips, customize them with a panoply of user-friendly special effects tools, and then share them widely through the platform’s vast social network.
Authors

Kathryn C. Montgomery, Jeff Chester, and Katharina Kopp
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Advocates Call on TikTok Suitors to Clean Up Kids’ Privacy Practices

Sep 3 2020

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Groups had filed complaint at FTC documenting how TikTok flouts children’s privacy law, tracks millions of kids without parental consent.
Contact:

Katharina Kopp, CDD (kkopp@democraticmedia.org; 202-836-4621)

David Monahan, CCFC (david@commercialfreechildhood.org)

Advocates Call on TikTok Suitors to Clean Up Kids’ Privacy Practices

Groups had filed complaint at FTC documenting how TikTok flouts children’s privacy law, tracks millions of kids without parental consent.
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Does Buying Groceries Online Put SNAP Participants At Risk?

Jul 16 2020

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Sub-title

How to Protect Health, Privacy, and Equity
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USDA Online Buying Program for SNAP Participants Threatens Their Privacy and Can Exacerbate Racial and Health Inequities, Says New Report

Jul 16 2020

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Digital Rights, Civil Rights and Public Health Groups Call for Reforms from USDA, Amazon, Walmart, Safeway/Albertson’s and Other Grocery Retailers - Need for Safeguards Urgent During Covid-19 Crisis

Contact: Jeff Chester

                                                                                                jeff@democraticmedia.org

                                                                                                202-494-7100

                                                                                                Katharina Kopp
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Groups tell FTC Influencer Marketing must be Regulated

Jun 24 2020

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Contact:

Jeff Chester, CDD (jeff@democraticmedia.org; 202-494-7100)

David Monahan, CCFC (david@commercialfreechildhood.org;)

Statement from Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and Center for Digital Democracy on Comments filed with FTC regarding Endorsement Guides
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Supporting the Call for Racial Justice

Jun 5 2020

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Supporting the Call for Racial Justice

The Center for Digital Democracy supports the call for racial justice and the fight against police violence, against the systemic injustices that exist in all parts of our society – inferior educational opportunities; lack of affordable equitable health care; an unjust justice system; housing and employment discrimination; and discriminatory marketing practices.
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Groups Say White House Must Show Efficacy, Protect Privacy, and Ensure Equity When Deploying Technology to Fight Virus

May 5 2020

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Fifteen leading consumer, privacy, civil and digital rights organizations called on the federal government to set guidelines to protect individuals’ privacy, ensure equity in the treatment of individuals and communities, and communicate clearly about public health objectives in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. There must be consensus among all relevant stakeholders on the most efficacious solution before relying on a technological fix to respond to the pandemic.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Susan Grant, CFA, 202-939-1003

May 5, 2020 Katharina Kopp, CDD, 202-836 4621

White House Must Act To protect privacy and ensure equity in responding to COVID-19 pandemic

Groups Tell Pence to Set Standards to Guide Government and Public-Private Partnership Data Practices and Technology Use
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Joint civil society statement: States use of digital surveillance technologies to fight pandemic must respect human rights

Apr 2 2020

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Joint civil society statement: States use of digital surveillance technologies to fight pandemic must respect human rights 2 April 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global public health emergency that requires a coordinated and large-scale response by governments worldwide. However, States’ efforts to contain the virus must not be used as a cover to usher in a new era of greatly expanded systems of invasive digital surveillance.
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Platforms, Privacy, Pandemic and Data Profiteering: The COVID-19 crisis further fuels unaccountable growth from the digital tech and media industries

Mar 31 2020

By Jeffrey Chester

The COVID-19 pandemic is a profound global public health crisis that requires our upmost attention: to stem its deadly tide and rebuild the global health system so we do not experience such a dire situation in the future. It also demands that we ensure the U.S. has a digital media system that is democratic, accountable, and one that both provides public services and protects privacy.
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Children’s privacy advocates call on FTC to require Google, Disney, AT&T and other leading companies to disclose how they gather and use data to target kids and families

Mar 26 2020

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Threats to young people from digital marketing and data collection are heightened by home schooling and increased video and mobile streaming in response to COVID-19

Contact:

Jeffrey Chester, CDD, jeff@democraticmedia.org, 202-494-7100

Josh Golin, CCFC, josh@commercialfreechildhood.org, 339-970-4240

Children’s privacy advocates call on FTC to require Google, Disney, other leading companies to disclose how they gather and use data to target kids and families

Threats to young people from digital marketing and data collection are heightened by
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The Google Fitbit Deal: Hazardous to Competition, Privacy, and the Future of Our Health

By: Jeff Chester | Feb 7 2020

Google’s (i.e., Alphabet, Inc.) proposed acquisition of Fitbit, a leading health wearable device company, is just one more piece illustrating how the company is actively engaged in shaping the future of public health.
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Groups Praise Sen. Markey and Google for Ensuring Children on YouTube Receive Key Safeguards

Dec 18 2019

Contact:

Jeff Chester, CDD (jeff@democraticmedia.org; 202-494-7100)

David Monahan, CCFC (david@commercialfreechildhood.org; 617-896-9397)

Groups Praise Sen. Markey and Google

for Ensuring Children on YouTube Receive Key Safeguards
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Statements by CDD, CCFC, AAP, and IPR on comments filed in response to the Federal Trade Commission’s review of COPPA

Dec 12 2019

Washington, December 11, 2019
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Leading child advocacy, health, and privacy groups call on FTC to Investigate Children’s Digital Media Marketplace Before Proposing any Changes to Privacy Protections for Children

By: Jeff Chester | Dec 5 2019

Sub-title

Threats to young people from digital marketing and data collection must be analyzed to ensure meaningful safeguards under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
EMBARGOED UNTIL DECEMBER 5, 2019 AT 12:01 AM

Contact:

Jeffrey Chester, CDD, jeff@democraticmedia.org, (202) 494-7100

Josh Golin, CCFC, josh@commercialfreechildhood.org; 617-896-9369

Leading child advocacy, health, and privacy groups call on FTC to Investigate Children’s Digital Media Marketplace Before Proposing any Changes to Privacy Protections for Children
Authors

Jeff Chester
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Why it’s Google that deserves the anger of YouTubers

Nov 27 2019

In the aftermath of Google’s settlement with the FTC over its COPPA violations, some independent content producers on YouTube have expressed unhappiness with the decision. They are unclear how to comply with COPPA, and believe their revenue will diminish considerably.
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Grading Digital Privacy Proposals in Congress

Nov 21 2019

Sub-title

Which digital privacy proposals in Congress make the grade?
Subject: Which digital privacy proposals in Congress make the grade?

Nov. 21, 2019

Contact: David Rosen, drosen@citizen.org, (202) 588-7742

Susan Grant, sgrant@consumerfed.org, (202) 387-6121

Caitriona Fitzgerald, fitzgerald@epic.org, (617) 945-8409

Katharina Kopp, kkopp@democraticmedia.org, (202) 836-4621
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Take Action to Protect the Privacy of Children Now

Nov 20 2019

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Big Tech companies are lobbying to undermine the only federal online privacy law in the US – one which protects children--and we need your help to stop them. Along with the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), we ask for your help to urge the Federal Trade Commission to strengthen—not weaken—the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Please sign this petition because your voice is essential to a future where children’s privacy is protected from marketers and others.
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Highlights of CDD's work and important news stories!

Why Californians Should Vote No on Proposition 24

Groups Oppose SAFE Data Act

Groups Tell FTC to Investigate Discriminatory Data Practices and Impact in any of the FTC's Industry Investigations

Data Governance for Young People in the Commercialized Digital Environment

Advocates Call on TikTok Suitors to Clean Up Kids’ Privacy Practices

Does Buying Groceries Online Put SNAP Participants At Risk?

USDA Online Buying Program for SNAP Participants Threatens Their Privacy and Can Exacerbate Racial and Health Inequities, Says New Report

Groups tell FTC Influencer Marketing must be Regulated

Supporting the Call for Racial Justice

Groups Say White House Must Show Efficacy, Protect Privacy, and Ensure Equity When Deploying Technology to Fight Virus

Joint civil society statement: States use of digital surveillance technologies to fight pandemic must respect human rights

Platforms, Privacy, Pandemic and Data Profiteering: The COVID-19 crisis further fuels unaccountable growth from the digital tech and media industries

Children’s privacy advocates call on FTC to require Google, Disney, AT&T and other leading companies to disclose how they gather and use data to target kids and families

The Google Fitbit Deal: Hazardous to Competition, Privacy, and the Future of Our Health

Groups Praise Sen. Markey and Google for Ensuring Children on YouTube Receive Key Safeguards

Statements by CDD, CCFC, AAP, and IPR on comments filed in response to the Federal Trade Commission’s review of COPPA

Leading child advocacy, health, and privacy groups call on FTC to Investigate Children’s Digital Media Marketplace Before Proposing any Changes to Privacy Protections for Children

Why it’s Google that deserves the anger of YouTubers

Grading Digital Privacy Proposals in Congress

Take Action to Protect the Privacy of Children Now

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