Friends,
Over the last few weeks, the new Administration has been making dramatic changes in our government, eliminating workers, freezing budgets, and upending many federal agencies’ core focus and modes of work.
In particular, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been seeking access to the data of millions of individuals stored in separate repositories across the government. That kind of data can be tremendously powerful, and its access raises profound risks for people’s privacy and security — as well as appropriate checks on government power. The laws and norms that protect this data are complex, and now under attack.
It’s the kind of challenge CDT is made for.
Our Equity in Civic Technology team has spent years amassing expertise in how governments can safely use people’s data and developed a strong reputation among stakeholders for its trustworthy, detailed understanding of how these systems can succeed or fail. Our Security & Surveillance team has long worked to shore up the essential guardrails that ensure law enforcement and immigration enforcement respect our Constitution and individuals’ civil liberties.
Since DOGE began its work, CDT has become a unique resource for allies and media alike as they try to understand precisely what’s happening — from the relevant laws, to technological limitations, to best practices for using and protecting information that speaks to some of the most sensitive aspects of our lives.
As always, we’re focused on how technology affects ordinary people. And whether data is being used to determine eligibility for government benefits, to select targets for criminal prosecution, or to steal an identity, its impact can be life-changing. Our government has an obligation to protect the data it holds and to use it within clearly specified limits.
We know that good policy depends on a smart, well-informed public conversation. Whether it’s showing up on TV or bringing reporters up to speed on an issue, CDT is a source for savvy, reliable information at the intersection of technology and democracy. We’ve worked with media outlets from CNN to Axios, from the Associated Press to the Washington Times and from Education Week to The Verge.
That ability to shape public discourse towards better, more comprehensive coverage of such a critical issue is why the Center for Democracy & Technology is such a valuable resource — especially at such a tumultuous time. I’m proud of CDT’s ability to play a critical role in a fast-moving national conversation while maintaining its commitment to accuracy, precision, and deep expertise on complicated issues.
As always I’m grateful for the support of friends, supporters, and allies like you.
Let’s keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
