Center For Digital Democracy

TO PRESERVE THE OPENNESS AND DIVERSITY OF THE INTERNET IN THE BROADBAND AREA AND TO REALIZE THE FULL POTENTIAL OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT AND ENCOURAGEMENT ON NONCOMMERCIAL, PUBLIC INTEREST PROGRAMMING.

DIGITAL RIGHTS OF CHILDREN -- DIGITAL SAFEGUARDS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH -- CHILDREN ARE GROWING UP TETHERED TO SOCIAL MEDIA, VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT, GAMING, AND MOBILE PLATFORMS OPERATED BY FACEBOOK, GOOGLE, AND OTHER POWERFUL CORPORATIONS. THERE IS A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE DOCUMENTING HOW THE TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY HAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED RISKS TO CHILDREN'S PRIVACY; BOMBARDED THEM WITH MISINFORMATION, HATE, AND RACIST SPEECH; EXPOSED THEM TO CYBERBULLYING AND SEXUAL PREDATION; AND CONTRIBUTED TO BEHAVIORS THAT THREATEN THEIR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. IT APPEARS THAT JUST AS THEY DO FOR ADULTS, DIGITAL PLATFORMS' DATA PRACTICES CAN ALSO PRODUCE DISPARATE OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN OF COLOR AND LOW INCOME YOUTH EXACERBATING EXISTING DISPARITIES IN RACIAL, ECONOMIC, AND POLITICAL EQUITY. THE GROWING POWER OF GLOBAL BIG TECH PLATFORMS CREATES AN URGENT NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE, COORDINATED, INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO PROMOTE GREATER CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY AND STRONGER GOVERNMENT POLICIES ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN, AND TO ENSURE THAT SAFEGUARDS ARE BUILT INTO THE FOUNDATION OF EMERGING PLATFORMS AND SERVICES. THE CENTER IS WORKING WITH ALLIES TO CONDUCT A NUMBER OF EFFORTS AIMED AT INFORMING THE PUBLIC, THE NEWS MEDIA AND POLICYMAKERS, ABOUT THE GROWING RISKS TO YOUNG PEOPLE FROM THE UNREGULATED DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY IN ORDER TO ELEVATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE IN THE POLICY DISCOURSE, PLACE IT HIGHER ON THE WASHINGTON POLITICAL AGENDA, AND ULTIMATELY BRING ABOUT POLICY CHANGE. PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM ONLINE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION -- AS ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION CONTINUES TO RISE AT ALARMING RATES, PURVEYORS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL ARE TAPPING INTO A GROWING NUMBER OF COMMERCIAL DIGITAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND APPLICATIONS THAT ATTRACT LARGE NUMBERS OF YOUTH. THE INDUSTRY'S LACK OF ADEQUATE CHILD SAFETY SYSTEMS STANDS IN SHARP CONTRAST TO ITS HEAVY INVESTMENT IN SOPHISTICATED ADVERTISING AND MARKETING SYSTEMS. THE CENTER SEES PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM ONLINE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AS PART OF A BROAD AGENDA FOR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ENCOMPASSES NOT ONLY SAFETY, BUT ALSO PRIVACY, FAIRNESS, EQUITY, AND OTHER CRITICAL RIGHTS. THE CENTER'S PROJECT IS FOCUSED ON THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: INFLUENCING MAJOR TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES TO STRENGTHEN THEIR INTERNAL POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR PROTECTING CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS FROM ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION; ANALYZING EMERGING COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES AND SERVICES TO ASSESS THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR YOUTH EXPOSURE TO ONLINE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION; ANALYZING EMERGING COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES AND SERVICES TO ASSESS THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR YOUTH EXPOSURE TO ONLINE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION; AND ENGAGING WITH CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN THE U.S. AND ELSEWHERE TO FOSTER CONSENSUS AND COLLABORATION ON HOW TO COMBAT THREATS TO CHILD SAFETY AND WELL-BEING IN THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT. PROMOTING PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES IN THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT - THE CENTER'S REPORT, HEALTH WEARABLE DEVICES IN THE BIG DATA ERA; ENSURING PRIVACY, SECURITY, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION, PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF THE MAJOR FEATURES, KEY PLAYERS, AND TRENDS THAT ARE SHAPING THIS NEW CONSUMER-WEARABLE AND CONNECTED-HEALTH MARKETPLACE, RAISING CONCERNS THAT THE WEAK AND FRAGMENTED HEALTH-PRIVACY REGULATORY SYSTEM FAILS TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE FEDERAL LAWS TO SAFEGUARD PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION COLLECTED BY WEARABLES. THE CENTER CONTINUES ITS WORK ADDRESSING THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL MEDIA ON HEALTH OUTCOMES, INCLUDING THE ROLE THAT MARKETING PLAYS IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE OBESITY EPIDEMIC. THE CENTER HAS PRODUCED NUMEROUS REPORTS DOCUMENTING HOW UNHEALTHY FOODS ARE MARKETED TO YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH DIGITAL MEDIA, THE MOST RECENT BEING THE 2021 REPORT, BIG FOOD, BIG TECH, AND THE GLOBAL OBESITY PANDEMIC. EXPERTS AROUND THE WORLD RECOGNIZE THE CENTER AS ONE OF THE LEADING ORGANIZATIONS WORKING ON THIS ISSUE THE CENTER IS COLLABORATING WITH ADVOCATES, POLICYMAKERS, AND SCHOLARS IN CANADA, THE EUROPEAN UNION, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND BRAZIL, WHO ARE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING LAWS AND REGULATIONS IN THEIR COUNTRIES THAT ARE MORE RIGOROUS THAN WHAT THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN ABLE TO PUT IN PLACE. THE GOALS ARE TO: ENSURE THAT GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS, FOOD AND BEVERAGE CORPORATIONS, AND ADVERTISING AGENCIES PROTECT U.S. CHILDREN FROM UNHEALTHY FOOD MARKETING; DRAW ON THE CENTER'S ONGOING RESEARCH OF THE FOOD AND DIGITAL INDUSTRIES TO ASSIST THE CENTER'S INTERNATIONAL COLLEAGUES IN DEVELOPING THE EVIDENCE THEY NEED TO ADVOCATE FOR STRONG POLICIES; AND ENCOURAGE U.S. ADVOCATES TO USE SOME OF THESE INTERNATIONAL POLICY FRAMEWORKS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR PROPOSALS FOR GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SELF-REGULATORY GUIDELINES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. STRENGTHENING U.S. PRIVACY SAFEGUARDS -- THE CENTER PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE PROMOTING THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE DIGITAL PRIVACY REGULATION IN THE U.S. PROACTIVELY FOCUSED ON THE MAY 2018 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION'S GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION ("GDPR"), CALLING ON FACEBOOK AND OTHER COMPANIES TO COMMIT TO IMPLEMENTING THE GDPR IN THE U.S. AND WORLDWIDE. THE CENTER BROUGHT NEW ALLIES TO THE PRIVACY DEBATE, DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP WITH PUBLIC CITIZEN THAT LED TO LETTERS BEING SENT TO 100 LEADING U.S. COMPANIES ASKING THEM TO ALSO COMMIT TO GPDR-LIKE RULES FOR THE U.S. THE CENTER PLAYED AN IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP ROLE IN HELPING TO BRING TOGETHER NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS ("NGO") -- INCLUDING NEW ALLIES FROM THE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMUNITY AND OTHER SECTORS, TO COLLABORATE O ADVANCING POLICIES ON FEDERAL AND STATE PRIVACY. THEY ARE CONTINUING THE CENTER'S WORK TO ENLIST THE INVOLVEMENT OF A DIVERSE SPECTRUM OF PUBLIC INTEREST AND CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS, INCLUDING ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE NOT TRADITIONALLY BEEN INVOLVED IN DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES. THE GOAL IS TO BUILD CONSENSUS ON A SET OF PRINCIPLES AND A POLICY FRAMEWORK, AND TO MOBILIZE THE PUBLIC ON THE NEED FOR NEW FEDERAL AND STATE-BASED REFORM POLICIES. AS PART OF THIS WORK, THE CENTER WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK AND EXPOSE CORPORATE DATA PRACTICES AND EDUCATE THE NEWS MEDIA AND NGO STAKEHOLDER GROUPS. PROMOTING DIGITAL PRIVACY SAFEGUARDS FOR POLITICAL/ELECTORAL CAMPAIGNS - CANDIDATES AND CAMPAIGNS ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM INCREASINGLY USE A FULL ARRAY OF DATA-DRIVEN AND DIGITAL MARKETING TECHNIQUES PIONEERED BY THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR. THESE INCLUDE DATA PROFILING, REAL-TIME TARGETING, GEO-TRACKING, EMOTIONAL ANALYTICS, AND OTHER POTENTIALLY MANIPULATIVE AND DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES. THE CENTER BEGAN CLOSELY ANALYZING THESE DEVELOPMENTS LONG BEFORE THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN BROUGHT THEM TO THE PUBLIC'S ATTENTION. THROUGH A SERIES OF REPORTS, AS WELL AS OUTREACH TO POLICYMAKERS, JOURNALISTS, AND CAMPAIGN REFORM ADVOCATES, THE CENTER WORKED TO BROADEN THE DEBATE OVER THE ROLE OF DATA AND DIGITAL MARKETING BEYOND THE IMPORTANT ISSUE OF RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE, ILLUMINATING HOW THE BASIC OPERATIONS OF THE DIGITAL MARKETING INDUSTRY (ESPECIALLY THE LARGE PLATFORMS) CAN BE USED BY A WIDE SPECTRUM OF POLITICAL PLAYERS IN WAYS THAT THREATEN TO UNDERMINE BOTH INDIVIDUAL PRIVACY AND THE INTEGRITY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. THE CENTER'S PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO INFORM AMERICANS ABOUT THE IMPACT ON THEIR PRIVACY OF THE POLITICAL USE OF THEIR COMMERCIALLY SOURCED DATA, INCLUDING WHAT KINDS OF INFORMATION POLITICAL INTERESTS ARE NOW ABLE TO COLLECT AND HOW THESE DATA ARE USED TO INFLUENCE THEIR VOTING DECISIONS. THE CENTER IS ALSO ASSESSING CURRENT AND PROPOSED SAFEGUARDS, AT BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS THAT MIGHT SERVE AS MODELS FOR DEVELOPING NEW REGULATIONS OR RESPONSIBLE DATA-INDUSTRY PRACTICES.

THE CENTER'S MEDIA ACCOUNTABILITY PROGRAM IDENTIFIES, ANALYZES AND DEVELOPS PUBLIC EDUCATION INITIATIVES TO ENSURE THE US DIGITAL MEDIA SYSTEM OPERATES IN WAYS THAT SUPPORT DEMOCRACY.