Press Releases | Center for Digital Democracy

FTC Fails to Protect Privacy in Facebook decision

By: Jeff Chester | Jul 24 2019

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Sub-title

Instead of serious structural and behavioral change, 3-2 deal is a huge giveaway. By dismissing all other claims, Simons' FTC does disservice to public
Statement of Jeff Chester, executive director, Center for Digital Democracy--CDD helped bring the 2009 FTC complaint that is the subject of today's decision on the Consent Order
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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
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Advocates Demand FTC Investigation of Echo Dot Kids Edition, Amazon violates COPPA in many ways, including keeping data that parents believe they deleted

May 9 2019

Contact:

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

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

Advocates Demand FTC Investigation of Echo Dot Kids Edition

Amazon violates COPPA in many ways,
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Press Briefing: Senators, Coalition Call for Sweeping National Digital Privacy Legislation

Feb 28 2019

Sub-title

Experts to Demand Federal Action to Combat Growing Digital Consumer and Civil Rights Threats
For Immediate Release:
Feb. 26, 2019

Contact:
Mike Stankiewicz, mstankiewicz@citizen.org, (202) 588-7779

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

MEDIA ADVISORY

Press Briefing: Senators, Coalition Call for Sweeping National Digital Privacy Legislation

Experts to Demand Federal Action to Combat Growing Digital Consumer and Civil Rights Threats
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Groups Call for New Privacy Agency to Replace FTC - Ensure Role for States' Protections

Jan 18 2019

Curbing Companies’ Bad Behavior Will Require Stronger Data Privacy Laws and a New Federal Data Privacy Agency

Federal Privacy Laws Are Antiquated and Need Updating; New Data Privacy Legislation Must Include Civil Rights Protections and Enhanced Punishments for Violations
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Google Play Store Apps for Kids Threatens Privacy and Poses Other Harms - Groups call for FTC Action to Protect Children and Families

Dec 19 2018

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Contact:

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

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

Apps which Google rates as safe for kids violate their privacy and expose them to other harms
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34 Civil Rights, Consumer, and Privacy Organizations Unite to Release Principles for Privacy Legislation

Nov 13 2018

34 Civil Rights, Consumer, and Privacy Organizations Unite to Release Principles for Privacy Legislation

Contact: Katharina Kopp (kkopp@democraticmedia.org); 202-836 4621
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Advocates ask FTC to investigate apps which manipulate kids

Oct 30 2018

Sub-title

Popular games for kids 5 and under lure them to watch ads and make in-app purchases
A coalition of 22 consumer and public health advocacy groups called on the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) to investigate the preschool app market. The advocates’ letter urges the FTC to hold app makers accountable for unfair and deceptive practices, including falsely marketing apps that require in-app purchases as “free” and manipulating children to watch ads and make purchases.
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COPPA--Protecting Children’s Privacy Online for 20 Years

Oct 4 2018

Media Advisory – Save the Date

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2018

Contact: Jeff Chester
jeff@democraticmedia.org

COPPA--Protecting Children’s Privacy Online for 20 Years
Sen. Ed Markey, Advocates and Experts Celebrate COPPA as they focus on
future challenges posed by the digital marketplace
October 17th, Capitol Hill, Open to Public
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Advocates Call on Senate to Invite Consumer Privacy Experts to Testify

Oct 1 2018

October 1, 2018

Chairman John Thune

Ranking Member Bill Nelson

Senate Commerce Committee

Washington, DC

Dear Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson,

We appreciate your interest in consumer privacy and the hearing you convened recently to explore this topic.
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Child Advocacy and Consumer Groups Tell FCC to Keep Key TV Safeguards for Children

Sep 25 2018

September 25, 2018 Contact: Jeff Chester-202-494-7100

David Monahan 617-896-9397

For Immediate Release

Child Advocacy and Consumer Groups Tell FCC to Keep Key TV Safeguards for Children
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CDD Releases E-Guide to Help Protect Voters From Online Manipulation and False News

Sep 12 2018

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CDD Releases E-Guide to Help Protect Voters From Online Manipulation and False News

Washington, D.C.: September 12, 2018

To help fight online political misinformation and false news, which has already resurfaced in the 2018 midterm elections, CDD has produced a short e-guide to help voters understand how online media platforms can be hijacked to fan political polarization and social conflict.

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Public Citizen and Center for Digital Democracy Release Sign-on Letter Urging Companies to Adopt Europe’s New Data Protection Rules

By: Katharina Kopp | May 24 2018

U.S. companies should adopt the same data protection rules that are poised to go into effect in the European Union on May 25, Public Citizen, the Center for Digital Democracy and Privacy International said today.

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Consumer groups in the U.S. and EU urge Facebook to adopt the General Data Protection Regulation as a global baseline standard

By: Katharina Kopp | Apr 9 2018

In an open letter to Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckkerberg, members of the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue urge the company "to confirm your company’s commitment to global compliance with the GDPR".

Authors

Katharina Kopp
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Advocates Say Google’s YouTube Violates Federal Children’s Privacy Law

By: Jeff Chester | Apr 9 2018

Sub-title

Consumer, privacy and children’s groups file complaint urging FTC to stop most popular kids’ online video service from gathering children’s data
WASHINGTON, DC—April 9, 2018—Today, a coalition of leading U.S. child advocacy, consumer, and privacy groups represented by the Institute for Public Representation filed a complaint(link is external) urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and sanction Google for violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in operating YouTube. Google claims that YouTube is only for users 13 and up, despite being the most popular online platform for children, used by 80% of American children ages 6 to 12.

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CDD, EPIC, Coalition of Consumer Groups Urge FTC to Investigate Facebook

By: Katharina Kopp | Mar 21 2018

In a statement issued today, CDD, EPIC and a coalition of consumer groups have called on the Federal Trade Commission to determine whether Facebook violated a 2011 Consent Order when it facilitated the transfer of personal data of 50 million Facebook users to the data mining firm Cambridge Analytica.
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Statement of Jeff Chester on plans by FCC to review 3-hour Children’s Educational TV Programming Rule

By: Jeff Chester | Feb 13 2018

Broadcasters want to kill one of their only few public interest obligations: to air at least 3 hours of educational children’s programming a week. The FCC is engaged in another outrageous form of digital highway robbery—to steal from kids in order to allow TV giants to make even more profits from shows filled with commercials. Broadcasters now earn billions of dollars from their free public license to transit television—including getting access to invaluable cable TV channels. They are supposed to serve as a “Trustee” of the airwaves—not video programming bandits.
Authors

Jeff Chester
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Death of Net Neutrality Will Spur Greater Loss of Digital Privacy, Further Content Consolidation & Control

By: Jeff Chester | Dec 15 2017

Sub-title

Statement of Jeff Chester, CDD

Authors

Jeff Chester
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Facebook Messenger Kids App Statement

By: Jeff Chester | Dec 4 2017

Statement of Kathryn C Montgomery, Ph.D.

Professor, School of Communication, American University

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Federal Election Commission (FEC) Must Hold Hearings on Role of Digital Media in Political Campaigns

By: Katharina Kopp | Nov 9 2017

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The Center for Digital Democracy calls on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to hold hearings examining the role that the Internet and related digital data applications now play in federal political campaigns. The public needs a better understanding of how contemporary digital practices in the “Big Data” era affect our electoral system. CDD also urges the FEC to begin a rulemaking to revise its regulations concerning disclaimers so the public has appropriate access to information regarding the operations of online ads and related content.
Authors

Katharina Kopp
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FTC Fails to Protect Privacy in Facebook decision

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

Advocates Demand FTC Investigation of Echo Dot Kids Edition, Amazon violates COPPA in many ways, including keeping data that parents believe they deleted

Press Briefing: Senators, Coalition Call for Sweeping National Digital Privacy Legislation

Groups Call for New Privacy Agency to Replace FTC - Ensure Role for States' Protections

Google Play Store Apps for Kids Threatens Privacy and Poses Other Harms - Groups call for FTC Action to Protect Children and Families

34 Civil Rights, Consumer, and Privacy Organizations Unite to Release Principles for Privacy Legislation

Advocates ask FTC to investigate apps which manipulate kids

COPPA--Protecting Children’s Privacy Online for 20 Years

Advocates Call on Senate to Invite Consumer Privacy Experts to Testify

Child Advocacy and Consumer Groups Tell FCC to Keep Key TV Safeguards for Children

CDD Releases E-Guide to Help Protect Voters From Online Manipulation and False News

Public Citizen and Center for Digital Democracy Release Sign-on Letter Urging Companies to Adopt Europe’s New Data Protection Rules

Consumer groups in the U.S. and EU urge Facebook to adopt the General Data Protection Regulation as a global baseline standard

Advocates Say Google’s YouTube Violates Federal Children’s Privacy Law

CDD, EPIC, Coalition of Consumer Groups Urge FTC to Investigate Facebook

Statement of Jeff Chester on plans by FCC to review 3-hour Children’s Educational TV Programming Rule

Death of Net Neutrality Will Spur Greater Loss of Digital Privacy, Further Content Consolidation & Control

Facebook Messenger Kids App Statement

Federal Election Commission (FEC) Must Hold Hearings on Role of Digital Media in Political Campaigns

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