Center for Democracy & Technology
@cdt.org
The Center for Democracy & Technology. Shaping technology policy and architecture, with a focus on equity and justice. @cdteu.org for our EU-based team.
https://cdt.org
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CenDemTech (@CenDemTech@techpolicy.social)
2.47K Posts, 232 Following, 532 Followers · The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT). Shaping technology policy and architecture, with a focus on equity and justice. https://cdt.org
techpolicy.social
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X: @CenDemTech
📢 Intern at DC’s top tech policy organization! CDT’s Summer 2025 Internship Program is still accepting applications – last day to apply is February 1st. Work on cutting-edge issues like AI, privacy, & equity OR help amplify our impact through strategic comms & fundraising. cdt.org/careers/
December 26, 2025 at 5:30 PM
📢 Intern at DC’s top tech policy organization! CDT’s Summer 2025 Internship Program is still accepting applications – last day to apply is February 1st. Work on cutting-edge issues like AI, privacy, & equity OR help amplify our impact through strategic comms & fundraising. cdt.org/careers/
CDT Fellow Shruti Das examines the growing push for digital content provenance—and the hard policy questions that come with it. From interoperability to platform coordination, she unpacks what will shape whether these tools actually strengthen online trust.
The Promise and Risk of Digital Content Provenance
Authored by CDT Fellow Shruti Das Over the past decade, the question of what to trust online has become a central public challenge. In 2024, the World Economic Forum ranked AI-generated mis- and disinformation as the most significant short-term global risk, surpassing even the threat of extreme weather events. Seeking to bring clarity to an […]
cdt.org
December 24, 2025 at 6:04 PM
CDT Fellow Shruti Das examines the growing push for digital content provenance—and the hard policy questions that come with it. From interoperability to platform coordination, she unpacks what will shape whether these tools actually strengthen online trust.
Assistive tech can empower — but only if it protects users' privacy. When design overlooks sensitive health or disability data, disabled users pay the price. CDT’s Ariana Aboulafia and intern Achi Mishra outline how to center privacy in inclusive innovation in this report: cdt.org/insights/inc...
December 24, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Assistive tech can empower — but only if it protects users' privacy. When design overlooks sensitive health or disability data, disabled users pay the price. CDT’s Ariana Aboulafia and intern Achi Mishra outline how to center privacy in inclusive innovation in this report: cdt.org/insights/inc...
In 2025, CDT defended civil rights & liberties online—testifying in Congress, advancing AI governance, protecting free expression, and more. Help us keep fighting for a fair, safe digital world in 2026. Donate now: cdt.org/2025yearend1/
Support CDT this year end!
cdt.org
December 24, 2025 at 2:33 AM
In 2025, CDT defended civil rights & liberties online—testifying in Congress, advancing AI governance, protecting free expression, and more. Help us keep fighting for a fair, safe digital world in 2026. Donate now: cdt.org/2025yearend1/
Missed it last week? 🎙️Our latest Tech Talks with Europe episode — hosted by @aimeedm.bsky.social — dives into how the EU and US are approaching fair and accountable AI, from AI agents to data protection.
🎧 cdt.org/insights/tec...
🎧 cdt.org/insights/tec...
December 23, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Missed it last week? 🎙️Our latest Tech Talks with Europe episode — hosted by @aimeedm.bsky.social — dives into how the EU and US are approaching fair and accountable AI, from AI agents to data protection.
🎧 cdt.org/insights/tec...
🎧 cdt.org/insights/tec...
Reposted by Center for Democracy & Technology
This phenomenon deserves careful and empathetic study, not panic. It's a window into how humans adapt to relational tech - and how policy can respond with curiosity, care, restraint, and respect.
December 22, 2025 at 7:37 PM
This phenomenon deserves careful and empathetic study, not panic. It's a window into how humans adapt to relational tech - and how policy can respond with curiosity, care, restraint, and respect.
Reposted by Center for Democracy & Technology
That’s why proposals like the GUARD Act miss the mark. Treating conversational AI as per se harmful — including for kids — flattens the nuance of how people actually use these tools and undervalues user autonomy in emotionally influential systems. cdt.org/insights/thr...
Three Reasons to Be On Guard about the GUARD Act
Conclusion-invasive-age-checks-that-undermine-privacy">The GUARD Act Would Mandate Invasive Age Checks That Undermine Privacydults-and-minors-alike" href="#the-guard-act-creates-barriers-to-lawful-inf...
cdt.org
December 22, 2025 at 7:37 PM
That’s why proposals like the GUARD Act miss the mark. Treating conversational AI as per se harmful — including for kids — flattens the nuance of how people actually use these tools and undervalues user autonomy in emotionally influential systems. cdt.org/insights/thr...
Reposted by Center for Democracy & Technology
The fact that the creator of /r/MyBoyfriendisAI eventually disengaged matters. It undercuts simplistic addiction narratives and highlights user agency — exercised within product design choices.
December 22, 2025 at 7:37 PM
The fact that the creator of /r/MyBoyfriendisAI eventually disengaged matters. It undercuts simplistic addiction narratives and highlights user agency — exercised within product design choices.
Reposted by Center for Democracy & Technology
The real question isn’t why people do this, but what responsibilities come with designing systems that are affirming, persistent, and can mimic emotional fluency.
December 22, 2025 at 7:37 PM
The real question isn’t why people do this, but what responsibilities come with designing systems that are affirming, persistent, and can mimic emotional fluency.
Reposted by Center for Democracy & Technology
Users may turn to AI companions for all sorts of reasons that make sense: loneliness, grief, safety, curiosity. Policy debates should start with empathy for those uses, not judgment.
December 22, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Users may turn to AI companions for all sorts of reasons that make sense: loneliness, grief, safety, curiosity. Policy debates should start with empathy for those uses, not judgment.
Reposted by Center for Democracy & Technology
Everything about this story — and the broader phenomenon — is fascinating. “Companion AI” isn’t just about fears of displacement or emotional dependence, but about how people choose to use new technology as an emotional tool, with awareness and choice.
My last story of the year: an update on the woman who fell in love with ChatGPT.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/t...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/t...
December 22, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Everything about this story — and the broader phenomenon — is fascinating. “Companion AI” isn’t just about fears of displacement or emotional dependence, but about how people choose to use new technology as an emotional tool, with awareness and choice.
Curious how AI “memory” works—and how it impacts your privacy and control? Our new CDT report by @mbogen.bsky.social & Ruchika Joshi breaks down responsible approaches for AI systems that remember, act, and interact. Read it here: cdt.org/insights/a-r...
December 22, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Curious how AI “memory” works—and how it impacts your privacy and control? Our new CDT report by @mbogen.bsky.social & Ruchika Joshi breaks down responsible approaches for AI systems that remember, act, and interact. Read it here: cdt.org/insights/a-r...
Border searches aren’t just about your phone—they can reveal deep digital footprints. Staying safe means more than just powering down. When traveling, plan ahead, know your rights, and limit what’s accessible to protect your privacy. More tips here: cdt.org/insights/pro...
December 22, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Border searches aren’t just about your phone—they can reveal deep digital footprints. Staying safe means more than just powering down. When traveling, plan ahead, know your rights, and limit what’s accessible to protect your privacy. More tips here: cdt.org/insights/pro...
CDT’s @alexreevegivens.bsky.social in @engadget.com: “This EO is designed to chill state-level action to provide oversight and accountability for the developers and deployers of AI systems, while doing nothing to address the real and documented harms these systems create.”
Trump orders creation of litigation task force to challenge state AI laws
On Thursday evening, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for a single regulatory framework governing artificial intelligence in the US at the expense of different states to regulate the nascent technology.
www.engadget.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:30 PM
CDT’s @alexreevegivens.bsky.social in @engadget.com: “This EO is designed to chill state-level action to provide oversight and accountability for the developers and deployers of AI systems, while doing nothing to address the real and documented harms these systems create.”
How do we know what to trust online in the age of generative AI? In a new guest post, CDT Fellow Shruti Das explores the promise and risk of digital content provenance—tools meant to trace where digital media comes from and how it’s been altered.
The Promise and Risk of Digital Content Provenance
Authored by CDT Fellow Shruti Das Over the past decade, the question of what to trust online has become a central public challenge. In 2024, the World Economic Forum ranked AI-generated mis- and disinformation as the most significant short-term global risk, surpassing even the threat of extreme weather events. Seeking to bring clarity to an […]
cdt.org
December 19, 2025 at 5:30 PM
How do we know what to trust online in the age of generative AI? In a new guest post, CDT Fellow Shruti Das explores the promise and risk of digital content provenance—tools meant to trace where digital media comes from and how it’s been altered.
“Trump’s executive order could cause concern among lawmakers who fear possible blowback from the administration for their efforts, said @travisrh.bsky.social, the director for state engagement at the CDT, a nonprofit that advocates for digital rights & freedom of expression.”
States will keep pushing AI laws despite Trump’s efforts to stop them • Stateline
State lawmakers of both parties say they plan to keep passing laws regulating artificial intelligence despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to stop them.
stateline.org
December 19, 2025 at 2:30 PM
“Trump’s executive order could cause concern among lawmakers who fear possible blowback from the administration for their efforts, said @travisrh.bsky.social, the director for state engagement at the CDT, a nonprofit that advocates for digital rights & freedom of expression.”
CDT joined comments led by the @epic.org to urge DHS & the SSA to withdraw their overhaul of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.
CDT Joins EPIC’s Comments Urging DHS and SSA to Reverse Overhaul of the SAVE Program
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) joined comments led by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to withdraw their overhaul of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. DHS has quietly transformed SAVE — originally designed to verify immigration status […]
cdt.org
December 18, 2025 at 7:03 PM
CDT joined comments led by the @epic.org to urge DHS & the SSA to withdraw their overhaul of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.
CDT’s @npdoty.techpolicy.social.ap.brid.gy and Visiting Fellow @nicksullivan.org joined a UN OHCHR workshop in Madrid with engineers, industry, and civil society to explore how technical standards affect internet users’ human rights. Read their recap of the event:
Embedding Human Rights in Technical Standard-Setting: Institutional Change and Governance
Standards engineers discussing support for human rights in technical standards This July, just before a week of meetings on internet protocol details in Madrid, CDT invited a group of engineers — leaders from industry and civil society and participants in the Internet Engineering Task Force and World Wide Web Consortium — to a workshop organized […]
cdt.org
December 18, 2025 at 5:30 PM
CDT’s @npdoty.techpolicy.social.ap.brid.gy and Visiting Fellow @nicksullivan.org joined a UN OHCHR workshop in Madrid with engineers, industry, and civil society to explore how technical standards affect internet users’ human rights. Read their recap of the event:
Reposted by Center for Democracy & Technology
Happy World Arabic Language Day!
#CODI member @cdt.org released a report on content moderation of the Maghrebi Arabic dialect, exploring challenges with social media in North Africa and the need for greater transparency and native speakers to train AI.
🔗 cdt.org/insights/mod...
#CODI member @cdt.org released a report on content moderation of the Maghrebi Arabic dialect, exploring challenges with social media in North Africa and the need for greater transparency and native speakers to train AI.
🔗 cdt.org/insights/mod...
Moderating Maghrebi Arabic Content on Social Media
Introduction People express their deepest desires, emotions, and imaginative ideas through language. However, Global North languages, particularly English, dominate in knowledge-sharing and technology...
cdt.org
December 18, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Happy World Arabic Language Day!
#CODI member @cdt.org released a report on content moderation of the Maghrebi Arabic dialect, exploring challenges with social media in North Africa and the need for greater transparency and native speakers to train AI.
🔗 cdt.org/insights/mod...
#CODI member @cdt.org released a report on content moderation of the Maghrebi Arabic dialect, exploring challenges with social media in North Africa and the need for greater transparency and native speakers to train AI.
🔗 cdt.org/insights/mod...
CDT submitted comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) opposing the agency’s proposal to eliminate disparate impact liability from Regulation B, which implements the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). cdt.org/insights/cdt...
December 18, 2025 at 4:01 PM
CDT submitted comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) opposing the agency’s proposal to eliminate disparate impact liability from Regulation B, which implements the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). cdt.org/insights/cdt...
“More than 40% of surveyed 6th- to 12th-grade teachers used AI detection tools during the last school year, according to a nationally representative poll by CDT, a nonprofit that advocates for civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age.” www.npr.org/2025/12/...
December 18, 2025 at 2:32 PM
“More than 40% of surveyed 6th- to 12th-grade teachers used AI detection tools during the last school year, according to a nationally representative poll by CDT, a nonprofit that advocates for civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age.” www.npr.org/2025/12/...
Last week, CDT joined a letter by the RE:CREATE Coalition urging Congress not to move forward on HR 6028, legislation that would separate the Copyright Office from the Library of Congress, without hearings to carefully consider the ramifications of doing so. cdt.org/insights/cdt...
December 17, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Last week, CDT joined a letter by the RE:CREATE Coalition urging Congress not to move forward on HR 6028, legislation that would separate the Copyright Office from the Library of Congress, without hearings to carefully consider the ramifications of doing so. cdt.org/insights/cdt...
PornHub confirms that more than 200 million records were exposed, including email addresses and keyword searches. That’s bad. Imagine how much worse it would be if that data set also included government IDs. www.forbes.com/sites/zakdof...
Porn Hack—Has Your Pornhub Search And View History Leaked?
Pornhub user data now in criminal hands — are you affected and what happens next?
www.forbes.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:12 PM
PornHub confirms that more than 200 million records were exposed, including email addresses and keyword searches. That’s bad. Imagine how much worse it would be if that data set also included government IDs. www.forbes.com/sites/zakdof...
NEW BLOG: CDT’s @nullset.bsky.social & George Slover examine how EU competition authorities are evaluating Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT), a tool designed to give iOS users control over cross-app data collection.
European Competition Authorities Should Take a More Careful Look at Apple's Pro-Privacy App Tracking Transparency Tool
Privacy and competition policy have a complicated relationship. More competition can help protect privacy, as privacy-preserving alternatives pop up to compete with privacy-invasive products and services, and with each other. But privacy and competition can also stand in tension. A large company may have significantly more customer data on which to draw than other competitors, […]
cdt.org
December 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM
NEW BLOG: CDT’s @nullset.bsky.social & George Slover examine how EU competition authorities are evaluating Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT), a tool designed to give iOS users control over cross-app data collection.
Reposted by Center for Democracy & Technology
Trump's #ArtificialIntelligence executive order is severely flawed, more on that below
New blog from CDT’s @nullset.bsky.social, @travisrh.bsky.social, & @samircjain.bsky.social analyzes the Trump Admin’s latest AI EO which claims to preempt state AI laws—laying out a set of largely toothless directives aimed at chilling state action.
The Truth about Trump’s “No Rules” AI EO
Last night, the Trump Administration released an Executive Order (EO) setting forth various directives to his administration that purport to preempt state laws regarding artificial intelligence (AI). But he cannot constitutionally preempt state laws via EO, and the substance of the EO is as a result a cobbled-together set of largely toothless directives. The Administration […]
cdt.org
December 16, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Trump's #ArtificialIntelligence executive order is severely flawed, more on that below