The Center for Digital Democracy’s mission is to serve as a watchdog to research and report on digital privacy, consumer online security and protection, and online marketing practices, and to work to promote consumer protection policies. As part of this work we carefully watch important industry practices and developments which we highlight in our Industry Watch, produce blog posts which we publish under our Blog, submit legal filings as part of federal, state or local law suits or legal and regulatory proceedings which you can read about in our CDD Filings, and publish news releases which are available under Press Releases.

  • The Kids Online Safety Act: Protecting LGBTQ+ Children & Adolescents Online - How changes to the Kids Online Safety Act will protect LGBTQ+ youth

    May 24 2023

    FACT SHEET

    Summary of the Kids Online Safety Act

    As Congressional hearings, media reports, academic research, whistleblower disclosures, and heartbreaking stories from youth and families have repeatedly shown, social media platforms have exacerbated the mental health crisis among children and teens fostering body image issues, creating addiction-like use, promoting products that are dangerous for young audiences, and fueling destructive bullying.  

    Date

    Wednesday, May 24, 2023
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  • Groups ask White House to not undermine ability to protect civil rights in trade negotiations

    May 23 2023

    The Honorable Joseph R. Biden
    President of the United States
    The White House
    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
    Washington, DC 20500


    May 23, 2023


    Dear President Biden:

    The undersigned civil rights, consumer protection, and other civil society organizations write to express concern about digital trade negotiations underway as part of the proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

    Date

    Tuesday, May 23, 2023
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  • Protecting Children and Teens from Unfair and Deceptive Marketing, including Stealth Advertising

    By: Jeff Chester | Jul 19 2022

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    Sub-title

    CDD Comments to FTC for "Stealth" Marketing Inquiry
    Authors

    Jeff Chester
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  • New WHO Report on Digital Marketing of Alcohol

    By: Jeff Chester | Dec 8 2021

    Sub-title

    CDD's Jeff Chester contributed to report's focus on online marketing practices, inc. use of big data analytics, by alcoholic beverage companies

    (Excerpt from WHO release):  

    Just as with tobacco, a global and comprehensive approach is required to restrict digital marketing of alcohol.

    “The vast majority of alcohol advertising online is “dark”

    Children and young people are especially at risk from the invasion of their social spaces by communication promoting alcohol consumption, normalising alcohol in all social contexts and linked to development of adult identities.

    Authors

    Jeff Chester
    Date

    Wednesday, December 8, 2021
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  • Coalition Tells Biden Administration: No Data Flows Deal Until Congress Enacts Privacy Laws

    Jun 10 2021

    The Center for Digital Democracy and 23 other leading civil society groups sent a letter to President Biden today asking his Administration to ensure that any new transatlantic data transfer deal is coupled with the enactment of U.S. laws that reform government surveillance practices and provide comprehensive privacy protections.

    Date

    Thursday, June 10, 2021
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  • Groups Join Legal Battle to Fight Ineffective FTC Privacy Decision on Facebook

    By: Jeff Chester | Jul 26 2019

    Sub-title

    Statements from Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood, CDD, Color of Change, Common Sense Media, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Open Markets, Public Citizen, USPIRG

    FOR RELEASE

    July 26, 2019

    Consumer Privacy Organizations to Challenge Facebook Settlement

    Statement from Groups

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    “The Settlement Fails to Provide Meaningful Relief to Facebook Users”

    WASHINGTON, DC – Many of the nation’s leading consumer privacy organizations are urging a federal court in Washington, DC to consider public comments before finalizing a proposed settlement between the Federal Trade Commission and Facebook.

    Authors

    Jeff Chester
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  • FCC Commissioners Channel Scrooge and Weaken Children's TV Safeguards

    By: Jeff Chester | Jul 10 2019

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    Sub-title

    FCC fails to ensure children in the U.S. have access to free, quality video content

    "The Trump FCC just gave some of the country’s most powerful media companies a huge taxpayer-funded gift. By weakening a key safeguard requiring companies such as Comcast/NBC, News Corp./Fox, Disney/ABC, and Sinclair  to air on their broadcast TV stations a few hours of educational programming for children, the FCC has placed the interests of the already rich and powerful over the needs of children and families.

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  • Groups Call on Facebook to Disclose and Explain Its Collection of Psychological Insights About Its Youngest Users

    By: Jeff Chester | May 11 2017

    Sub-title

    Facebook Told Marketers It Can Detect Teens Feeling 'Insecure' and 'Worthless'; Data Could Be Used to Drive Products Based on Mood and Using Manipulation

    Facebook should immediately release all documents describing how it collected and analyzed psychological information it recently collected about its youngest users, some as young as 14, and college students, Public Citizen and a coalition of 25 groups said in a

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  • A Big Win for Commercial Surveillance on the Internet -- a Gigantic Loss for Democracy

    By: Staff | Mar 30 2017

    Sub-title

    US Citizens and Consumers left further exposed to unfair and discriminatory data practices.

    The following can be attributed to Katharina Kopp, Policy Director, Center for Digital Democracy. 

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    Today’s House vote to overturn the first major Internet privacy protection for Americans, may be a win for ISP monopolies, but it’s a tragic loss for our democracy. 

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  • Federal Trade Commission Must Stop “Influencer” Marketing Targeting Kids on YouTube and Other Digital Sites

    By: Staff | Oct 21 2016

    The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD), Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) and Public Citizen  filed a complaint at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today asking for an investigation and enforcement action against Google (a subsidiary of Alphabet, Inc.), Disney’s Maker Studios, DreamWorks-owned AwesomenessTV, and two other companies for the unfair and deceptive practice of targeting “influencer” marketing toward children.

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