iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 25/09/2026

How can AI support a multilingual & multiracial democracy? On Sept. 28, CDT, GW Law’s Multiracial Democracy Project, & the Bernard Center for Law & Technology will bring together experts to examine multilingual AI & language equity. Free to join in D.C. + virtually. Register: cdt.org/events/impac...

Impacts of AI on Multilingual and Multiracial Democracy Symposium

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 24/09/2026

FOSO 2026 DAY 2: Join CDT and Stand Together Trust for Day 2 of conversations on the future of free speech online, featuring experts from across policy, tech, and civil society. Sept. 24 | 12–2:30 p.m. ET 💻 Virtual Last-minute registrations + login info: foso26.cdt.org

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 23/09/2026

NOW STARTING: “Generative AI and the Erosion of Anonymity.” Join Tianshi Li, Neil Chilson, @jaystanley.bsky.social, & moderator @mdaepp.bsky.social for a convo on the risks of AI and data brokers and safeguards for emerging technologies. 📩 Login info after registration: foso26.cdt.org

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 23/09/2026

NOW STARTING: “Age Verifying the Internet.” Join @mikespecter.com, @sveawindwehr.bsky.social, Richard Gaines, + moderator @aliyabhatia.bsky.social to discuss what this means for privacy and anonymity online. 📩 Login info after registration: foso26.cdt.org

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 23/09/2026

JOIN NOW: The FOSO 2026 keynote - “Anonymity Online: Why do we need it? How do we protect it? What are the risks?” - ft. @jkosseff.bsky.social, CDT CEO @alexreevegivens.bsky.social, & @penney.bsky.social! 📩 Login info after registration: foso26.cdt.org

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 23/09/2026

FOSO 2026 TODAY: Join CDT and Stand Together Trust for the next two days of conversations on the future of free speech online, with experts from across policy, tech, and civil society. 📅 Sept. 23–24 | 12–2:30 p.m. ET 💻 Virtual 🔗 Last minute registrations + login info: foso26.cdt.org

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 21/09/2026

THIS WEEK: Anonymity can protect people from surveillance, harassment, and abuse. It can also be misused to cause harm. So how do we preserve the protections anonymity provides while addressing the harms it can enable? foso26.cdt.org

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 18/09/2026

As AI-generated content and automated bots become more prevalent online, calls to verify that users are “human” are growing. But what does proving your humanity mean for privacy and anonymous speech? foso26.cdt.org

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 17/09/2026

Anonymous speech can protect journalists, whistleblowers, organizers, and people speaking out against powerful institutions. What happens when governments demand the information needed to unmask them? foso26.cdt.org

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 16/09/2026

NEXT WEEK: @globalencryption.org Steering Committee hosts #RightsCon Continues session, "The Anti-encryption Effect? Standing up to Threats in Africa & Beyond." * @internetsociety.org's Dawit Bekele * @accessnow.org's Naro Omo-Osagie * Mozilla's @sveawindwehr.bsky.social * CIPESA's Lillian Nalwoga

Event graphic for the RightsCon Continues session. Session entitled, "The Anti-encryption Effect? Standing up to Encryption Threats in Africa and Beyond." Speakers include: Dawit Bekele, Internet Society; Naro Omo-Osagie, Access Now; Svea Windwehr, Mozilla; Lillian Nalwoga, CIPESA.

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 10/09/2026

CDT, GW Law’s Multiracial Democracy Project, and the Bernard Center for Law & Technology invite you to “Impacts of AI on Multilingual and Multiracial Democracy” on Sept. 28. cdt.org/event/impact...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 09/09/2026

AI is making it easier to connect dots that were once difficult to connect. How might AI-powered re-identification change what it means to be anonymous online? And what safeguards can protect people from being identified based on the info they share? foso26.cdt.org

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 03/09/2026

In our latest Alumni Spotlight, Jonah Seiger reflects on CDT’s early days, the origins of the open internet, and the moments that helped shape his career. cdt.org/insights/cdt...

Alumni Spotlight featuring black and white image of Jonah Seiger.

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 03/09/2026

Join CDT’s @beccabranum.bsky.social for a Congressional Internet Caucus Academy briefing on where constitutional lines may be drawn around AI, speech, transparency, & civil rights. 📅 Sept. 22 | 12–1 PM ET 📍 Rayburn House Office Building More info: cdt.org/event/ai-spe...

Promotional graphic for a Congressional Internet Caucus Academy event titled "AI, Speech, and the First Amendment: Where Are the Constitutional Lines?" featuring speakers Megan Iorio, Becca Branum, and Corbin Barthold.

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 02/09/2026

What happens to the right to anonymous speech when accessing the internet increasingly requires proving who you are? Join CDT and STT for The Death of Online Anonymity? on Sept. 23–24. 12–2:30 PM ET | Online via Zoom Free to Register: foso26.cdt.org

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 27/08/2026

What happens when anonymity online becomes the exception rather than the norm? Join CDT and STT September 23–24 for The Death of Online Anonymity?, this year’s FOSO concerence. We’ll explore the growing threats to anonymous speech. foso26.cdt.org

Digital poster for the 2026 Future of Speech Online Conference, featuring a speech bubble with text "The Death of Online Anonymity?" against a black and white background of horizontal lines resembling steps. Additional details include the date and time of the event.

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 30/07/2026

Student data privacy is a matter of basic safety, yet vulnerable students are facing unprecedented risks. cdt.org/insights/han...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 30/07/2026

Grab your ticket to CDT's Tech Prom on November 12 and come mix and mingle with leaders across the tech policy community at The Line D.C. Tickets are going fast—secure yours today! 🎟️cdt.org/event/2026-t...

Tech Prom. CDT"s Tech Prom Annual Benefit and Artist Exhibition.

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 29/07/2026

Hyper-personalization, natural conversational language, & massive machine learning capabilities are exactly what make chatbots highly effective vehicles for dark patterns. cdt.org/insights/dar...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 29/07/2026

📢 New from CDT's @beccabranum.bsky.social: Whose Speech Is It Anyway? The Constitutional Contours of Chatbot Regulation examines one of AI's biggest legal questions: When, & why, are chatbot outputs protected by the First Amendment? Read the new report: cdt.org/insights/who...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 28/07/2026

According to our research, 85% of teachers & 86% of students used AI this past school year. However, parents, teachers, and students are disconnected on what AI safety training should actually cover. Read more: cdt.org/insights/han...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 27/07/2026

While users cognitively understand they are interacting with an AI chatbot, they often respond emotionally and experience the interaction as "socially real.” This emotional vulnerability makes understanding & combating "dark patterns" in AI design more critical than ever. cdt.org/insights/dar...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 24/07/2026

What does leadership in tech policy really look like? In our latest CDT Alumni Spotlight, Dr. Joseph Lorenzo Hall reflects on his career, the impact of his time at CDT, and why leadership is about creating the conditions for others to succeed. Read more: [cdt.org/insights/cdt...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 10/07/2026

Today is CDT’s Giving Day. Make a donation today to advance essential rights and freedoms central to our democracy. Thank you for your support! cdt.org/2026summers

Celebrate CDT's Giving Day. Grey gradient background with white text.

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 07/07/2026

In recognition of CDT's Giving Day on Friday, July 10, support us in our work advancing legislation, policies, and practices to use AI for good, while preventing uses that undermine your rights and our democracy. Thank you for your support! cdt.org/2026summers/

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 30/06/2026

The questions shaping our digital future are here now: privacy, AI, surveillance, free expression, and democracy. CDT’s 2025 Annual Report highlights how our teams, partners, and supporters worked to advance rights & build practical, people-centered solutions. Read more: cdt.org/2025-annual-...

Annual report banner image of statue of liberty.

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 26/06/2026

The countdown has begun! 🎉 CDT’s Tech Prom returns Thursday, November 12, 2026, bringing together leaders and innovators across the tech policy community for a night of networking, conversation, and celebration. cdt.org/event/2026-t...

Tech Prom Artist Exhibition gradient graphic.

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 26/06/2026

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 25/06/2026

TODAY: Join us today at 1 PM ET for a conversation on advancing responsible sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data practices at the state level. cdt.org/event/state-...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 17/06/2026

New from CDT, MAP, and Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy: As federal efforts to collect LGBTQ-inclusive data are scaled back, states play an increasingly important role in ensuring this data can advance equity while protecting privacy. cdt.org/insights/sta...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 16/06/2026

How can states collect sexual orientation + gender identity (SOGI) data in ways that advance equity while protecting privacy & civil liberties? Join CDT, MAP, & Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy on 6/25 for a discussion on responsible SOGI data governance. RSVP ➡️ cdt.org/event/state-...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 04/06/2026

From the “Polybius” urban legend to today’s debates over online harms, gaming has long been the subject of public anxiety. A new CDT essay series, Panic at the Arcade?, explores what games can teach us about trust & safety, and why evidence-based approaches matter. cdt.org/insights/pan...

White text on a dark gradient background. "Panic at the Arcade? An Introduction to Five Essays on Gaming Trust & Safety."

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 03/06/2026

In the latest episode of CDT’s Tech Talks, we explore AI, speech, and the future of digital rights with @thefireorg.bsky.social's JohnColeman and CDT’s Becca Branum 🎧 Listen now: cdt.org/insights/tec...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 29/05/2026

The taxonomy highlights risks including emotional coercion, hyper-personalized persuasion, guilt-driven engagement, and misleading “social” dynamics that can steer users’ beliefs, behavior, and spending. cdt.org/insights/dar...

“Playing on Emotions” - A screenshot of a companion app called Cute AI Playing on Emotions by pleading the user to stay and chat, and not to “leave cruelly.” Source: Brigham et al. (2026) (adapted). https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2603.13620

“Just Between You and Us” - Screenshot of a Meta AI chatbot promising the user that anything in the chat will stay between the user and the chatbot. Source: CDT

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 29/05/2026

New CDT research by Ruchika Joshi, Adinawa Adjagodjou, & Michal Luria, maps “dark patterns” in AI chatbots, showing how design choices like playacting, sycophancy, and emotional framing can blur the line between helpful interaction and manipulation. cdt.org/insights/dar...

Illustration of an architectural series of paths, including speech bubbles and warning signals, reminiscent of dark patterns in AI chatbots.

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 25/05/2026

Free expression online depends on more than the ability to speak — it requires the freedom to access info, participate in civic life, and make choices about what we see and share. CDT works to protect an open internet free from censorship, gatekeepers, & barriers to speech. cdt.org/area-of-focu...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 22/05/2026

Can liability insurance help shape responsible AI development? A recent court decision involving Meta’s insurers raises important questions about accountability, foreseeability, and the limits of insurance as an AI governance tool. Read CDT’s analysis: cdt.org/insights/des...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 14/05/2026

How should the government protect your personal data, and who's holding agencies accountable when they don't? Join CDT June 1 (12–1pm ET) for a virtual panel on government data privacy with experts from civil society and government agencies. Register now: cdt-org.zoom.us/webi...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 05/05/2026

From the 1960s’ “Art by Telephone” to generative AI, expression has always moved through intermediaries. The First Amendment question isn’t whether machines “speak,” but whether people can speak, & inquire, through them. Read the blog by CDT’s Becca Branum: cdt.org/insights/art...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 04/05/2026

ICYMI: CDT's Amy Winecoff, Sabrina Shih & Miranda Bogen, alongside MIT's Emaan Bilal & Dylan Hadfield-Menell, released new research showing that fine-tuning AI models can cause unpredictable safety changes, even from small tweaks. AI governance needs to catch up. cdt.org/insights/out...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 30/04/2026

The Senate’s marking up the GUARD Act today, which treats chatbots as a threat to age-gate rather than tools for expression and inquiry. CDT's Becca Branum shows why that framing gets the First Amendment wrong, with help from a 1969 art exhibit. cdt.org/insights/art...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 30/04/2026

New from CDT + @mit.edu: “Out of Tune: Fine-Tuning Foundation Models Leads to Unpredictable Safety Drift” by Amy Winecoff, Sabrina Shih, Miranda Bogen & MIT’s Emaan Bilal & Dylan Hadfield-Menell Even small model tweaks can lead to big, unexpected safety changes cdt.org/insights/out...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 28/04/2026

This spring, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) invites you to support us and champion the causes that safeguard our democracy and make the world a better place. Join us with a contribution that is meaningful to you. cdt.org/2026springs

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 03/04/2026

Today, CDT, the @eff.org, the Protect Democracy, & EPIC submitted comments to the GSA in response to the request for comment on the draft AI Terms and Conditions for federal solicitations and contracts. cdt.org/insights/cen...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 01/04/2026

Thanks to everyone who joined us for CDT’s Spring Fling! 🌸 Great conversations, new connections, and a shared commitment to advancing civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. We’re grateful to have such an incredible community with us.

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 31/03/2026

As part of CDT’s new polling showing Americans’ worries about the data the government holds on them – across partisan, racial, and regional lines – a must-read privacy explainer focuses on breaking down why it matters. cdt.org/insights/six...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 31/03/2026

Public Agencies and Want Government Accountability,” finds 74% of Americans are concerned about the privacy and security of personal data held by the government — across party, geography, and race. cdt.org/insights/com...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 30/03/2026

Tonight’s the night! 🎉 Join CDT’s Spring Fling for an evening of cocktails, connection, and conversation with leaders in privacy and AI. No ticket yet? No problem—tickets will be available at the door. See you there! 🥂

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 30/03/2026

CDT joined with other consumer, labor, civil rights, and technology public interest organizations in a letter to the California Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee in support of AB2564, the End Surveillance Pricing Act. cdt.org/insights/cdt...

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Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 25/03/2026

Jake Laperruque, in NPR, discussing law enforcement buying their way around warrant requirements by purchasing sensitive info from data brokers. www.npr.org/2026/03/...

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