Center for Digital Democracy;

Center for Digital Democracy news about digital technologies and their impact on democracy, equity, fairness, community. @digitaldemoc.bsky.socia

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

You know little about US media history @brendancarr & you should apologize to @SenMarkey & the millions of parents, kids & other Americans who have benefited from his work. He passed the Children's TV Act, COPPA & much more. Your accusations are baseless and bring dishonor to the FCC.

[Brendan Carr @BrendanCarrFCC]

Democrat Senator Ed Markey wants to ensure that Hollywood can secretly insert & promote controversial gender ideology in children’s programming without any notice or transparency to parents.

Recently, parents have raised concerns that programming promoting transgender and gender non-binary ideologies are being rated as appropriate for young children without providing any information to parents.

The FCC is asking about empowering parents with more information so that they can make their own decisions about what is appropriate for their families.

Senator Markey wants the FCC to shut down that effort.

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

Scott Pelley's disclosures & firing symptom of decades long failure on US media/digital policy & connections to democracy. The Ellison buying spree & its myriad connections is latest example. Ensuring diversity of ownership now a top priority; as is Project2029 Reform Digital Media in US.

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

EU regulators should investigate Paramount Skydance's deep connections to EU & other media holdings, such as https://t.co/hDMYAFxzyW; https://t.co/Qn9cQNzqJD
Competition, news & program diversity impacts.
https://t.co/eW4e0RKO6a

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

Competition, privacy, consumer protection & Gen AI regulators/advocates should examine how potential LiveRamp data will further feed AI marketing/targeting models developed by Publicis. Note ad agency giant related recent digital data buying sprees too. https://t.co/yq4DyBWGMA

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

The Publicis takeover of LiveRamp illustrates the explosion of commercial agentic AI surveillance marketing worldwide. Growing threats to public, from invasive marketing to privacy to payments to ongoing data+ad+platform media consolidation. Advocates/regulators should address. https://t.co/FsiQqDrdcm

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

The Publicis takeover of LiveRamp illustrates the explosion of commercial agentic AI surveillance marketing worldwide. Growing threats to public, from invasive marketing to privacy to payments to ongoing data+ad+platform media consolidation. Advocates/regulators should address. https://t.co/FsiQqDrdcm

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

Requires global regulatory scrutiny on privacy, consumer protection, & use of AI for targeting public. Publicis to acquire LiveRamp to accelerate data co-creation for smarter agents | Publicis Groupe https://t.co/GeMlTC97vW

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

Gen AI lobbyists are using same old tired policy playbook, arguing against needed safeguards. Just like Google, Facebook & other digital giants fought any privacy regs. That's how we ended up with commercial surveillance; GenAI marketing ushering in more powerful surveillance & manipulation system. Don't be fooled.

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

It's time more reporters & consumer advocates expose how commercial surveillance pricing can harm Americans with fragile finances. Start here. https://t.co/4cdlllOpBn; https://t.co/b7gwcbyLLk

[Adam Kovacevich @adamkovac]

No one wants unfair prices.

But families rely on coupons, discounts, and loyalty programs to make ends meet – and those data-driven deals will vanish if pending state bills pass.

Check out our new campaign to learn more:
https://t.co/Ja64mbEySH

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

Talk about the Digital Emperor has no privacy protections, @adamkovac. Let's discuss retail media surveillance monetization, cross platform (inc CTV) retail, grocery, delivery, payment & platform partnerships, identity (now Gen AI) driven universal targeting profiles, etc. Hopefully your "campaign" will ignite greater surveillance on what's really going on.

[Adam Kovacevich @adamkovac]

There’s a lot of talk about “surveillance pricing.”

But the everyday reality is that coupons, discounts, and loyalty offers are powered by data - and threatened by pending bills.

We’re launching a new campaign, More Ways to Save, to protect those deals:

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

What about ethics, moral conscience, principles @joellthayer that are values more important than boosterism & (digital) jingoism?

[Joel Thayer @joellthayer]

In my @A1Policy capacity, I submitted an amicus brief in support of the @DeptofWar in its case against Anthropic at the DC Cir.

In it, I make a simple argument: decisions concerning warfare and national security must remain under the control of officials accountable to the President, not private actors lacking such accountability.  

Link to the brief is here: https://t.co/AbsZTZn4va

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

This is Alice in Wonderland runs our FTC. Lack of serious scrutiny on digital media markets is shocking, but not surprising.

[Andrew Ferguson @AFergusonFTC]

When companies collude to prevent competition, it undermines the freedom and fairness of our markets. When that collusion also prevents the spread of ideas they don’t like, it undermines our basic rights as citizens to speak and be heard. Today, the FTC took monumental steps to promote economic competition and stop collusive censorship.

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

What were the "brand safety" protections for online content that @AFergusonFTC is so fearful of? Here's a partial list: "adult & explicit sexual content, crime & harmful acts to individuals, hate speech & acts of aggression, obscenity & profanity, illegal drugs, terrorism, misinformation (verifiably false content)." https://t.co/0UL5MHLZly

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

Antitrust, data & consumer protection regulators should focus on Amazon's further expansion on mobile devices, esp in the Gen AI commercial surveillance marketing 3.0 era.
https://t.co/3dOexUkKZm

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

Shameful action weakening online safeguards for kids as well as broader public. Big data marketing agencies on bended knee to FTC. https://t.co/iyPgmf90CP

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

On both bended & branded knee. Shape on the ad giants, which may include WPP & Publicis, for caving in to the FTC. Their clients will ultimately pay.
https://t.co/JTk4wYzIFW via @WSJ

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

OpenAI buying a finance app part of this commercial surveillance marketing 3.0 story--Gen AI for shopping, payments, ads. Agentic monetization at core of Gen AI apparatus. https://t.co/8poBdz25ke

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

GenAI is the foundation for the Commercial Surveillance 3.0 era. Ads, marketing, sales is what AI is being shaped to deliver--with less privacy, autonomy, & greater control by #BigTech. This headline underscores where it's headed:
OpenAI has quietly launched its ads manager as it races to build out its ads business https://t.co/a6ZC9TRgwl

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

GenAI is the foundation for the Commercial Surveillance 3.0 era. Ads, marketing, sales is what AI is being shaped to deliver--with less privacy, autonomy, & greater control by #BigTech. This headline underscores where it's headed:
OpenAI has quietly launched its ads manager as it races to build out its ads business https://t.co/a6ZC9TRgwl

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

Commercial surveillance 3.0 via #GenAI for ads & marketing will be the key business model, as it has been with online from start. Young people & everyone else will be targets for automated & intelligent monetization. Key safety risk & being ignored. Time for action. https://t.co/Wf5L413Eiv
https://t.co/4AS2ed5WNf

[Center for Digital Democracy; @DigitalDemoc]

Netflix & McDonald's marketing combo cashes in on your calories, with a data gathering side: "Every Saja Boys Breakfast Meal and HUNTR/X Meal comes with a collectible card pack..
Fans can scan the QR code on each Derpy access card and enter the unique code on the McDonald’s App..." #publichealth
https://t.co/qL52yjrJwJ