As actions under Donald Trump expand data access across federal government agencies, experts are raising alarms about surveillance, oversight, and the erosion of key privacy protections. Listen Now:
LISTEN: On NPR’s 1A podcast, CDT’s Jake Laperruque Laperruque breaks down growing concerns over government data sharing and what it means for Americans’ privacy rights.
From risk management + governance to transparency, these recommendations help states mitigate harms, strengthen oversight, and build public trust in AI systems used across state governments. Read more:
As states expand AI use in public services, strong guardrails are essential. CDT’s Quinn Anex-Ries & Maddy Dwyer outline 3 policy priorities for state legislation to ensure responsible, trustworthy AI adoption in the public sector.
CDT’s Maddy Dwyer: “Through the [GovAI] coalition’s network, gov, civil society and industry leaders can share knowledge & discuss ideas, pushing the public sector towards responsible and trustworthy AI adoption and use in the delivery of public services.”
From data minimization + governance to access, deletion, and enforcement—these recommendations give state lawmakers a roadmap to safeguard constituents’ data and ensure responsible use across government. Read more:
New from CDT’s Quinn Anex-Ries & Maddy Dwyer: As federal efforts to consolidate state-held data grow, strong safeguards are more critical than ever. This brief outlines 5 key policy priorities for state legislation to protect personal data and maintain trust.
“The topline number in a report released Tuesday by CDT is that 39% of respondents are ‘very concerned’ & 35% are ‘somewhat concerned’ about the privacy and security risks of government collection and storage of their data.”
“Americans may be so split that we can't even agree on which tech billionaires to hate, but a new survey finds extraordinary, bipartisan unease over how much data government agencies have about us and how that data might be abused.”
CDT’s Bogen: “Who is keeping track of things about users? And how is that information being used to make determinations about them?”
"[Bogen says] AI companies are reprising a similar privacy problem: users hand these systems enormous amounts of info precisely because the tools are designed to know them well enough to be useful.”
“[CDT’s] Bogen says the pattern is familiar from older Internet platforms, where small behavioral cues became signals that shaped what users saw & how they were categorized.
CDT’s Bogen: “Even if it’s a very legible and very simple prediction pattern, how you use that information is a separate governance question.”
“A signal collected for one purpose can migrate into other parts of a product in ways users neither expect nor consent to.”
“Miranda Bogen, director of the AI Governance Lab at the CDT, says the more pressing issue is what happens to such information once a company has it.”
Specifically, we address how requirements for AI systems to produce outputs regardless of potential risks and for vendors to adhere to meaningless “unbiased AI principles” are overly broad and would make AI tools less safe.
CDT comments highlight how the draft AI Terms and Conditions could undermine responsible AI practices in federal procurement.
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...
“Across the U.S., 74% of people said they are worried about the privacy + security of their personal data when it comes to what info the govt has & how it is stored, according to survey findings released Tuesday by CDT."
CDT’s Anex-Ries: “Implementing GSA's draft terms and conditions across all AI solicitations and contracts in the federal government could result in systems with fewer safety protections and worse outcomes, and a vendor community that is reticent to push back when their products are used unsafely.”
“[CDT’s] Anex-Ries said these latest updates to previous GSA memos on AI acquisition may offer clarity but include terms that would undermine ‘key safety measures in AI systems.’”
“Quinn Anex-Ries, a senior policy analyst at the CDT, said the draft terms & conditions serve as the most recent resource to help guide companies and AI developers in working with the govt, & that it centers on ‘unbiased AI principles’ for large language models.”
This isn’t isolated. It reflects a broader pattern of repurposing sensitive gov data without authorization, eroding trust and civil liberties. Congress must act. Read the full letter + signatories:
Last week, CDT joined 100+ orgs urging Congress to defend taxpayer privacy by supporting an amicus brief in Center for Taxpayer Rights v. IRS. Evidence shows the IRS unlawfully shared tens of thousands of taxpayers’ confidential data with immigration enforcement.
WATCH: CDT’s Jake Laperruque on NBC News on the negative impacts of facial recognition technology, in response to the latest reports that a woman was wrongfully arrested after an AI facial recognition tool falsely linked her to bank fraud:
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.
“‘In a time of historic polarization, our research shows that Americans still agree on one thing: they are deeply concerned about what the government knows about them and how that power could be misused,’ CDT President and CEO Alexandra Reeve Givens said in a press release.”
“The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) released new polling data [] that revealed the majority of Americans, 74%, are concerned about the privacy and security of personal data held by government agencies.”
New coverage from StateScoop highlights CDT polling: 74% of Americans are concerned about the privacy & security of government-held data, and nearly 8 in 10 support stronger oversight and accountability across all levels of gov’t.
“‘....But this administration has given people a lot of reasons to worry about their privacy, and this app only raises more questions about what the federal govt is doing with our personal data.’"