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  • CFPB Must Regulate "Big Tech" Payment Platforms in Commercial Surveillance Era

    By: Jeff Chester | Dec 7 2022

    Sub-title

    Consumer financial safeguards for online payments needed, says U.S. PIRG & CDD


    Big Tech Payment Platforms
    Supplemental Comments of USPIRG and the Center for Digital Democracy
    CFPB-2021-0017
    December 7, 2022

    United States Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) submit these additional comments to further inform the Bureau’s inquiry. They amplify the comments USPIRG and CDD submitted last year.[1]  

    Date

    Wednesday, December 7, 2022
    Read more
  • Groups tell FTC: End all surveillance advertising & marketing to individuals under 18

    By: Jeff Chester | Nov 22 2022

    Sub-title

    Coalition of child advocacy, health, safety, privacy and consumer organization document how data-driven marketing undermines privacy and welfare of young people

    Children and teenagers experience widespread commercial surveillance practices to collect data used to target them with marketing. Targeted and personalized advertising remains the dominant business model for digital media, with the marketing and advertising industry identifying children and teens as a prime target. Minors are relentlessly pursued while, simultaneously, they are spending more time online than ever before. Children’s lives are filled with surveillance, involving the collection of vast amounts of personal data of online users.

    Date

    Monday, November 21, 2022
    Read more
  • Data-driven Health Marketing Surveillance in the U.S.

    By: Jeff Chester | Nov 21 2022

    Image

    Sub-title

    FTC Commercial Surveillance Filing from CDD focuses on how pharma & other health marketers target consumers, patients, prescribers

    “Acute Myeloid Lymphoma,” “ADHD,” “Brain Cancer,” “High Cholesterol,” “Lung Cancer,” “Overweight,” “Pregnancy,” “Rheumatoid Arthritis,” “Stroke,” and “Thyroid Cancer.” These are just a handful of the digitally targetable medical condition “audience segments” available to surveillance advertisers  While health and medical condition marketers—including pharmaceutical companies and drug store chains—may claim that such commercial data-driven marketing is “privacy-compliant,” in truth it reveals how vulnerable U.S.

    Date

    Monday, November 21, 2022
    Read more
  • Advocates to FTC: Write rules to protect kids from harmful manipulative design online

    Nov 17 2022

    Image

    Sub-title

    At every turn, young people face tricks and traps to keep them online for hours and sharing sensitive data.

    Contact:

    David Monahan, Fairplay: david@fairplayforkids.org

    Jeff Chester, Center for Digital Democracy: jeff@democraticmedia.org

    Advocates to FTC: Write rules to protect kids from harmful manipulative design online
    At every turn, young people face tricks and traps to keep them online for hours

    and sharing sensitive data.

    Date

    Thursday, November 17, 2022
    Read more
  • Protecting Children and Teens from Unfair and Deceptive Marketing, including Stealth Advertising

    By: Jeff Chester | Jul 19 2022

    Image

    Sub-title

    CDD Comments to FTC for "Stealth" Marketing Inquiry
    Authors

    Jeff Chester
    Read more
  • Advocates call on FTC to investigate manipulative design abuses in popular FIFA game

    Jun 2 2022

    Image

    Sub-title

    Groups say FIFA: Ultimate Team preys on children’s vulnerability with loot boxes, “funny money

    Contact:

    David Monahan, Fairplay david@fairplayforkids.org
    Jeff Chester, CDD jeff@democraticmedia.org; 202-494-7100

    Advocates call on FTC to investigate manipulative design abuses in popular FIFA game
    Groups say FIFA: Ultimate Team preys on children’s vulnerability with loot boxes, “funny money”

    Date

    Thursday, June 2, 2022
    Read more
  • Call For an End to Manipulation, Exploitation, and Discrimination of Children and Teens via Surveillance Advertising

    Jan 26 2022

    Sub-title

    CDD and Advocates Call on the FTC to Begin Rulemaking to Prohibit Surveillance Advertising

    January 26, 2022

    Federal Trade Commission

    Office of the Secretary

    600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

    Washington, DC 20580

    Re: Comment on Petition for Rulemaking by Accountable Tech, FTC-2021-0070 

    INTRODUCTION

    Date

    Wednesday, January 26, 2022
    Read more
  • CDD Tells FTC It's Time to Regulate Commercial Surveillance Marketing

    By: Jeff Chester | Jan 26 2022

    Sub-title

    Documents 25 years of failures by agency to rein in practices that have eviscerated privacy and consumer protection in the U.S. and globally
    Authors

    Jeff Chester
    Date

    Wednesday, January 26, 2022
    Read more
  • US PIRG & CDD Urge CFPB to Protect Consumers/Small Businesses in the "wild west" of Online Payments & Digital Platforms

    By: Jeff Chester | Dec 21 2021

    Image

    Sub-title

    "Surveillance" Marketing meets what Google calls "embedded finance" online

    [excerpt]

    Date

    Tuesday, December 21, 2021
    Read more
  • Coalition calls on FTC to protect civil rights and privacy in data-driven commerce

    Aug 4 2021

    CDD joins 23 other public interest, consumer advocacy, and civil rights groups in a letter urging the Federal Trade Commission to protect civil rights and privacy in the digital economy by initiating a new rulemaking, creating an Office of Civil Rights, and committing more resources to enforce against unfair and deceptive practices.

    Date

    Wednesday, August 4, 2021
    Read more
  • Advocates Ask FTC to Protect Youth From Manipulative “Dark Patterns” Online

    May 28 2021

    Date

    Friday, May 28, 2021
    Read more
  • Advocates say Google Play continues to disregard children’s privacy law and urge FTC to act

    Apr 1 2021

    Image

    Contact:

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

    David Monahan, CCFC, david@commercialfreechildhood.org

    Advocates say Google Play continues to disregard children’s privacy law and urge FTC to act

    Date

    Wednesday, March 31, 2021
    Read more
  • Groups tell FTC Influencer Marketing must be Regulated

    Jun 24 2020

    Image

    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

    Read more
  • Groups Tell FTC to Investigate TikTok’s Failure to Protect Children’s Privacy

    May 14 2020

    Image

    Sub-title

    TikTok gathers data from children despite promise made to commission

    Contact:

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

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

    Advocates Say TikTok In Contempt of Court Order   

    More kids than ever use the site due to COVID19 quarantine, but TikTok flouts settlement agreement with the FTC

    Read more
  • 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

    Read more
  • 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
    Read more
  • 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

    Dec 5 2019

    Read more
  • FTC complaints filed by Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and Center for Digital Democracy lead to major changes for kids on YouTube

    Oct 8 2019

    Most parents can tell you the most popular website for kids is YouTube. But for years, while Google made millions luring children to YouTube, vacuuming up their sensitive information, and using it to target them with ads, Google told the Big Lie: “YouTube is not for kids. It says so right in our terms of service.”

    That has now changed, thanks to the advocacy of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) and the support of a coalition of advocacy groups.

    Read more
  • FTC Must Effectively Penalize Google for Violating COPPA Privacy law

    By: Jeff Chester | Jul 8 2019

    Sub-title

    Concern that FTC actions will not protect privacy for children on Google platforms; Digital ad giant must be held accountable

    Letter sent on June 3 2019 to Chairman Simons and FTC Commissioners in response to a call made by the Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood and CDD, represented by our attorneys from the Institute for Public Representation (IPR), Georgetown University Law Center with the commission.

    Authors

    Jeff Chester
    Read more
  • FTC must impose maximum fine and ensure Google’s YouTube business practices obey children’s privacy law, say groups

    Jun 25 2019

    Sub-title

    Google’s unprecedented violation requires an unprecedented FTC response and a 20-year consent decree to ensure Alphabet Inc. acts responsibly when it comes to serving children and parents; Google executives should also be held accountable.

    June 25, 2019

    Read more

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What Is The CDD


The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) is recognized as one of the leading digital rights, consumer protection, and privacy organizations in the United States. For nearly two decades, CDD has been at the forefront of research, public education, and advocacy on behalf of citizens, consumers, communities, and youth.

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