Center For Digital Democracy

Programs: Cdd plays a unique role educating the public about critical digital media developments, and fostering widespread news coverage of issues that affect citizens and consumers. The organization's mission is to advocate for digital justice and against commercial surveillance; to advance individual and group privacy and children's and youth's digital rights; to advocate for diverse and independent media, and for a fair, equitable, and just digital marketplace and digital democracy. The organization seeks to shape the policy discourse and outcomes by conducting groundbreaking research, policy analysis, media outreach, coalition organizing, and direct engagement with policymakers. In 2017, the organization engaged in multiple initiatives designed to protect the rights of the public in the digital marketplace. These included working to ensure that financially at-risk and other vulnerable consumers--including children and adolescents--receive a range of important safeguards. The organization also played a lead role strengthening the privacy rights of americans, as well as supporting effective enforcement of the new eu data protection rules. Even before the "russiagate" affair triggered a review of the political marketing practices of google, facebook, and other digital advertisers, cdd launched a campaign to educate the public about manipulative online practices designed to influence voters and electoral turnout. We were the first to identify how a new federal program to allow snap (formerly food-stamp) participants to buy products online raised both privacy and consumer-protection concerns. Our work assembling a global coalition of ngos to address "internet of things" (iot) practices, especially connected toys and devices for children, made international headlines and led to major changes by policymakers and corporate leaders. The organization continued its work to ensure that health consumers are treated fairly as the marketplace is transformed through wearable and other devices and applications. The organization also continued its strong media outreach program, resulting in coverage of cdd in dozens of articles by such major publications as the new york times, washington post, los angeles times, wall street journal, boston globe, politico, bloomberg, and usa today. Cdd was also cited by news outlets based in the uk, netherlands, france, germany, hungary, ireland, poland, italy, ukraine, japan, vietnam, israel, and mexico.