We are now subjected to a far-ranging system of “commercial surveillance,” where our information is continuously gathered. Data is collected when we go online, use mobile phones, post to social media, and more. CDD plays a unique leadership role holding the digital data industry accountable, as well as helping foster regulatory safeguards.

 

  • CDD and CCFC Ask FTC to Suspend TRUSTe COPPA role and open up investigation

    By: Jeff Chester | May 25 2017

    The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) and Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), by their attorneys, the Institute for Public Representation, respond to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC or the Commission) request for comment on proposed changes to TRUSTe’s COPPA Safe Harbor program. TRUSTe has sought approval of changes to its COPPA Safe Harbor program that it states are necessary to comply with an Assurance of Discontinuance it recently entered into with the New York Attorney General’s Office (NYAG).

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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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  • Our Next President: Also Brought to You by Big Data and Digital Advertising

    By: Jeff Chester | Apr 4 2017

    The ease of promoting and profiting from fake news (link is external), the use of social media to spread disinformation and twist the truth and the ability to microtarget voters on all their devices reveal how political campaigns and special-interest groups are taking full advantage of the “Big Data”-driven digital marketing system that Google and Facebook have helped unleash.

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  • U.S. Privacy Dealt Major Set-back as Broadband Protections are Overturned by Congress and President Trump

    By: Jeff Chester | Apr 3 2017

    President Trump has killed the first real protections for commercial privacy that Americans have online. Phone and cable giants, allied with the GOP Congressional majority, have just voted to overturn the historic consumer-data safeguards adopted last year by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). AT&T, Comcast, Verizon—the country’s dominant providers of high speed broadband—along with industry and Congressional GOP allies, intensely opposed the new FCC rule. Why?

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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. 

    ---

    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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  • People Have No Control

    By: Jeff Chester | Mar 30 2017

    CDD Executive Director, Jeff Chester speaks on Congress’ dismantling of the FCC Privacy Rule with CNN’s Jake Tapper on March 29th, 2017.

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  • Americans Lose Privacy Rights in Senate Vote

    By: Jeff Chester | Mar 23 2017

    Americans lost a crucial right today as the GOP-controlled Senate voted to overturn the only federal protection that could have protected their privacy online. This is a key victory for lobbyists from the ISP monopolies, such as AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon. These companies have built a “Big Data" business model to track—and profit from—our every move online. Today, Americans who use personal computers, mobile phones and other online devices are the victims of continuous monitoring of their digital activities.

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  • Consumer, Privacy and Children’s Advocates Oppose Attempts by Industry to Eliminate Privacy Protections of all ISP Customers, Including Children

    By: Katharina Kopp | Mar 7 2017

    Washington, DC (March 6, 2017): The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD), Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, Common Sense Kids Action, Consumer Action and the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reject industry requests to rescind the FCC’s broadband privacy rules, as this would leave parents effectively without any tools to protect their children’s privacy on broadband Internet Service Provider networks (ISPs).

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  • Americans Win Significant Broadband Privacy Rights in Historic FCC Decision

    By: Jeff Chester | Oct 27 2016

    Statement of Jeff Chester, executive director, Center for Digital Democracy

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  • Need to Know 1084

    By: Staff | Oct 23 2016

    excerpt from recent interview with Rick Welday, president of AT&T AdWorks, 13 October 2016.

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  • CDD Statement on AT&T/Time Warner Deal

    By: Jeff Chester | Oct 22 2016

    This proposed deal raises major challenges for consumers, subscribers and competitors.  It reflects the “Big Data” and digitally data-driven imperatives that are reshaping the U.S.

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  • Need to Know 1082

    By: Staff | Oct 22 2016

    Turner Broadcasting [Time Warner] is partnering with Epsilon, Krux and Oracle to enable advertisers and their agencies to connect to the Turner Data Cloud (TDC), the company’s advanced data management platform (DMP) originally announced at the company’s Upfront last month.

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  • Verizon's AOL’s Kline Sees Location-Based Mobile As ‘Untapped Frontier’

    By: Staff | Oct 21 2016

    COLOGNE-To the world at large, the fate of Yahoo had been a long-running saga that seemed like it would never end. But to AOL CMO Allie Kline, the deal joining AOL and Yahoo is a big momentum boost for the “flywheel” of data-driven advertising and content under the Verizon umbrella.

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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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  • Growth of Hyper-local geo-targeting of consumers--they know when you are near stores and more

    By: Jeff Chester | Oct 12 2016

     Introducing DLX Proximity, a new Oracle Datalogix location-based audience category. Target audiences based on proximity from home address to surrounding retailers using highly accurate, offline sources data. Using address data on 110MM+ HHs and latitude/longitude coordinates of retail locations, we’ve built audiences that live within a five-mile shopping radius of each store.

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  • Cross-Device Privacy Must be Protected by FCC Proposed Rule on Broadband ISPs

    By: Jeff Chester | Oct 12 2016

     ... ISPs are engaged in cross-device tracking of its subscribers and customers which allow them to target advertising at the individual and household level.  Exemplary for all ISPs, we are highlighting AT&T’s efforts in this area.

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  • CDD Welcomes FCC Chairman Wheeler’s Broadband Privacy Proposal

    By: Jeff Chester | Oct 6 2016

    Sub-title

    Provides Key New Safeguards for ISP Customers’ Privacy

    Washington, DC: Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler announced today that he is circulating a broadband ISP privacy proposal to the other four FCC Commissioners detailing a plan that would provide individuals with key safeguards regarding their data. The proposal is designed to help implement the FCC “Open Internet” order to ensure that ISPs respect the privacy of communications over broadband and mobile networks.

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  • Introducing Salesforce Einstein–AI for Everyone

    By: Jeff Chester | Oct 4 2016

    Apple’s Siri analyzes thousands of movie showings and surfaces recommendations for the best times and theaters based on my location within seconds. Spotify knows my music preferences and curates personalized playlists for me. Facebook instantly recognizes my friends in photos and suggests tags with nearly 98 percent accuracy.

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  • Electronic Privacy Information Center & CDD Defend Privacy Rights of WhatsApp Users

    By: Jeff Chester | Aug 29 2016

    Washington, DC (August 29, 2016) – The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) today filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, stating that the WhatsApp plan to transfer user data to Facebook is unlawful and that the FTC is obligated to block the proposed change in business practices. 

    The EPIC-CDD complaint responds to a recent announcement from WhatsApp that the company plans to disclose the verified telephone numbers of WhatsApp users to Facebook for user profiling and targeted advertising.

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  • DoJ and FCC Regulators Must Scrutinize Verizon/Yahoo deal

    By: Jeff Chester | Jul 25 2016

    Statement of Jeff Chester, CDD executive director:   Regulators, including the DOJ and FCC, must prevent Verizon from taking anticompetitive and unfair advantage of its broadband ISP bird’s nest view of what their subscribers and consumers do—online and off.  The  proposed takeover of Yahoo’s core digital data advertising business, when combined with the capability to gather information from its wireless devices, broadband networks, and set-top boxes, gives it control over the key screens that Americans use today.  Verizon has already supercharged its use of “Big Data” tactics to monitor th

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