This paper explains the capabilities and limitations of tools for analyzing the text of social media posts and other online content. It is intended to help policymakers understand and evaluate available tools and the potential consequences of using them, and focuses specifically on the use of natural language processing (NLP) tools for analyzing the text of social media posts.
On 30 November, CDT joined over 80 organisations in signing an open letter on the EU copyright reform addressed to the Ministers attending the Competitiveness Council (COMPET), as well as to relevant representatives of other EU institutions. In one sentence, we voice our persisting concerns over the current state of affairs of the discussions in the Council and European Commission on the proposal for a Copyright in the Digital Single Market (DSM) Directive. In an Annex, the letter refers to 29 letters and analyses carried out by various European stakeholders and experts, which highlight the negative impact of the current proposal, particularly in Articles 13 (monitoring and filtering of user uploads), 11 (press publishers’ rights) and 3 (text and data mining exception).
Read More Read MoreThe Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) thanks the Subcommittee for the opportunity to submit this statement regarding the November 1, 2017 hearing on “Net Neutrality and the Role of Antitrust.” CDT appreciates the interest of the Subcommittee in protecting the principles of the open internet, but we have concerns about some of the legal and policy approaches under consideration in this hearing. In this statement, we will address some of the points raised by critics of the 2015 Open Internet Order (OIO) who argue for an alternative that relies exclusively on antitrust law.
Read More Read MoreThe Honorable John Thune Chairman, Senate Commerce Committee United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Bill Nelson Ranking Member, Senate Commerce Committee United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 7 November 2017 Dear Chairman Thune, Ranking Member Nelson, and Members of the Committee, We, the undersigned human rights and civil liberties organizations, trade associations, and individuals write to convey our significant concern with the Manager’s Amendment to S.1693, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA), which the Committee will…
Read More Read MoreWe recognise the concerns about difficulties in obtaining electronic data relevant for criminal investigations that motivates the EC’s initiative. Our overriding message is that as the EC considers its next step, it must ensure that protection of fundamental rights is front and centre. We refer to existing human rights principles on necessity and proportionality and ask that they be included in any initiative the EC puts forward.
Read More Read MorePrivacy violations are by their nature contextual, making them difficult for individuals to evaluate and regulators to quantify. Two important elements should be included in the Commission’s consideration of information injury: first, user control, or lack thereof, should be an important component of the Commission’s analysis of unfair acts or practices. Second, while expanded individual rights to information could serve to counterbalance the risk of privacy violations, information asymmetries limit an individual’s ability to make informed decisions about privacy and security.
Read More Read MoreTerms like Bitcoin, blockchain, and mining are entering the mainstream — but to the unacquainted, it can be hard to know where to start. How does it all work? On October 18, 2017, CDT fellow and political economist Benjamin Dean discussed the basics of crypto-ledgers, cryptocurrencies, and the associated policy issues. His presentation is available here.
Read More Read MoreA coalition of civil liberties organizations, including CDT, wrote to the Department of Homeland Security to express concerns with the DHS System of Records Notice, issued on September 18, 2017 that states that DHS will now store social media information in ‘Alien Files’, which include the official record of an individual’s visa and immigration history. Alien registration numbers, and their related A-File, are assigned to people who plan to make the United States their home, and also to certain categories of non-immigrants who are granted employment authorization.
Read More Read MoreThe City of New York has an obligation to understand, scrutinize, and explain how its algorithms make decisions affecting New Yorkers. At minimum, the city should ensure and demonstrate to the public that NYC’s algorithmic decision-making tools (1) are aligned with the city’s policy goals and the public interest; (2) work as intended; (3) do not use data to marginalize minority or vulnerable populations and exacerbate inequality; (4) provide meaningful transparency to New Yorkers so that they can appeal and seek remedy for automated decisions that are incorrect, unjust, or contrary to law.
Read More Read MoreCDT and dozens of other digital rights groups released a letter calling on Congress to improve the USA Liberty Act by closing the backdoor search loophole that the bill leavers open. Using this loophole, the US government searches the communications content of US persons without obtaining a warrant. It does this by combing through the millions of communications it seizes every year under the authority Congress gave it in Section 702 of FISA to conduct surveillance of foreigners outside the U.S.
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