Center for Digital Democracy - CDD

What Center for Digital Democracy - CDD does

The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit public interest research and advocacy organization founded in 2001 as the successor to the Center for Media Education, which led the campaign for COPPA in 1998. CDD operates across four program areas — Digital Health, Digital Consumer, Digital Citizen, and Digital Youth — conducting research, public education, and policy advocacy on digital privacy, consumer protection, children's online safety, and the regulation of digital marketing and surveillance advertising. It does not sell products or services; its revenue comes from foundations, individual donations, and public support, and it does not disclose financial figures. The organization is led by Executive Director Jeff Chester and Deputy Director Katharina Kopp, Ph.D., and works through coalitions with peer advocacy groups, legal counsel from Georgetown Law's Institute for Public Representation, and direct engagement with the FTC, Congress, state attorneys general, and other regulatory bodies.

CDD's core output is not technology but rather policy research, commissioned reports, regulatory filings, and coalition letters. Its work has been directly tied to COPPA's original passage (1998), the 2013 COPPA Rule update, the 2023-2025 FTC COPPA amendments, lobbying for COPPA 2.0 and KOSA, and monitoring AI-driven marketing practices by major platforms (e.g., Meta's AI chatbot ad plans, connected TV surveillance). Its "platform architecture" is therefore institutional: a network of advocacy partners (Fairplay, EPIC, Common Sense Media, American Academy of Pediatrics, Tech Oversight Project, 5Rights Foundation, World Obesity Federation, Consumer Federation of America, National Association of Consumer Advocates), a Washington, DC office at 1015 15th Street NW, and digital communications channels (website, press releases, blog, filings, social media).

The business model is that of a tax-exempt advocacy nonprofit — grant-funded and donation-supported rather than revenue-generating. CDD has no commercial go-to-market motion, no products, no pricing model, and no disclosed headcount. Its "customers" in the broadest sense are citizens, consumers, communities, and youth (the beneficiaries of its advocacy), while its direct counterparts are policymakers, regulators, allied advocacy organizations, and the media. Geographic scope is centered on the United States, with selective international partnership activity (e.g., 5Rights Foundation, World Obesity Federation).

Name

Center for Digital Democracy - CDD

Legal name

Center for Digital Democracy

Website

https://democraticmedia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Center for Digital Democracy is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit founded in 2001 that conducts research, public education, and policy advocacy on digital privacy, consumer protection, and children's online safety, working with coalitions, the FTC, and Congress to regulate digital marketing and surveillance advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CDD is a public interest research and advocacy organization that conducts research, public education, and policy advocacy on digital rights, consumer protection, privacy safeguards, and the regulation of digital marketing practices. CDD monitors the digital marketing industry, builds coalitions with advocacy partners, files complaints with regulators such as the FTC, and submits testimony and filings to Congress and state attorneys general on issues including surveillance advertising, children's online privacy, and data-driven marketing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Youth Advocacy Advocacy program protecting the interests of young people and ensuring children and teens are treated fairly in the commercial online marketplace, including campaigns for COPPA 2.0 and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).
• Digital Consumer Advocacy Monitoring of the digital marketing industry to inform the public, media, and policymakers about industry practices in order to protect consumer rights and online privacy.
• Digital Citizen Advocacy Advocacy for fair, equitable, and just media and public sphere, with focus on limits on the use of commercial consumer data by political campaigns for voter targeting and voter suppression.
• Digital Health Advocacy Program to ensure the digital health field is accountable, that privacy is respected, and that safeguards are in place for online health marketing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful advocacy leading to Senate advancing COPPA 2.0 to curb targeted advertising to young people
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• FairplaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 November 2023Fairplay (formerly Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood) is a key coalition partner working with CDD on advocacy for children's online safety legislation including KOSA and COPPA 2.0. Organizations collaborated on letter to Congress signed by 217 groups urging passage of Kids Online Safety Act.
• Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPIC is a coalition partner collaborating with CDD on privacy advocacy. Both organizations signed letters to FTC urging action on Meta's AI chatbot advertising practices and other privacy issues.
• Common Sense MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommon Sense Media is a key coalition partner working with CDD on children's online safety and privacy advocacy, including joint statements supporting KOSA and COPPA 2.0 legislation.
• American Academy of PediatricscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe American Academy of Pediatrics is a coalition partner supporting CDD's advocacy for children's online privacy and safety legislation, particularly COPPA 2.0.
• Tech Oversight ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTech Oversight Project collaborates with CDD on advocacy against Big Tech practices harming children and consumers.
• 5Rights FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner5Rights Foundation is an international coalition partner working with CDD on children's digital rights and privacy protection.
• ParentsTogether ActionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParentsTogether Action is a coalition partner supporting CDD's advocacy for children's online safety and privacy legislation.
• Georgetown Law Institute for Public RepresentationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeorgetown Law's Institute for Public Representation provides legal counsel to CDD on regulatory filings, FOIA requests, and court cases related to FTC enforcement of COPPA and other privacy matters.
• World Obesity FederationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDD collaborated with international health organizations including World Obesity Federation on research regarding digital food marketing's harmful impact on young people.
• Consumer Federation of AmericamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer Federation of America is a coalition partner supporting CDD's advocacy for consumer privacy protections.
• National Association of Consumer AdvocatesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Association of Consumer Advocates is a coalition partner working with CDD on consumer privacy advocacy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Common Sense Media: Common Sense Media is a leading nonprofit organization focused on children's media and technology. It is a direct peer to CDD, with overlapping focus on kids' online safety, KOSA, and COPPA 2.0 advocacy.
• 5Rights Foundation: 5Rights Foundation is an international organization advocating for children's digital rights. It is a direct peer to CDD through shared focus on age-appropriate design and children's online safety regulation.
• Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC): EPIC is a public interest research center focused on privacy and civil liberties. It is a direct peer to CDD, frequently co-signing letters to the FTC on issues like Meta's AI chatbot data practices and COPPA enforcement.
• Fairplay (formerly Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood): Fairplay is a nonprofit focused on protecting children from harmful marketing. It is a direct peer to CDD, collaborating closely on KOSA coalition advocacy and children's digital privacy issues.
• Consumer Federation of America: Consumer Federation of America is an advocacy organization advancing consumer interests. It is a direct peer to CDD through overlapping consumer privacy and data protection policy work.
• Tech Oversight Project: Tech Oversight Project is a nonprofit accountability organization focused on Big Tech harms. It is a direct peer to CDD, collaborating on advocacy against surveillance advertising and data-driven targeting practices.

Broad incumbents

• Mozilla Foundation: Mozilla Foundation advocates for a healthy internet through privacy, openness, and inclusion. It is comparable to CDD through shared internet health and privacy advocacy, though with broader scope and substantially larger resources.
• American Academy of Pediatrics: American Academy of Pediatrics is a professional association of pediatricians. It is a broad incumbent peer to CDD through its role supporting COPPA 2.0 advocacy and child health-related privacy work, though its primary mission is broader medical practice.

Emerging players

• Future of Privacy Forum: Future of Privacy Forum is a nonprofit that serves as a catalyst for privacy leadership and scholarship. It is comparable to CDD as a peer privacy organization, though it operates more as a think tank engaging with industry alongside advocacy.

Regional players

• Privacy International: Privacy International is a UK-based charity focused on global privacy and surveillance issues. It is a regional peer to CDD, comparable through shared privacy advocacy mission but operating primarily outside the US.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DigitalDemoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/281331962264
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-digital-democracy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Digital Democracy - CDD