CDT Europe
CDT Europe advocates for the promotion and protection of democracy and human rights in European tech law and policy.
We work closely on key legislation in the European Union which regulates the online space, how people interact with it and how it impacts their rights.
Through our expertise and technical knowledge, as well as our familiarity with the EU institutions and other relevant bodies, we work to come up with practical solutions to help shape a digital world which respects fundamental rights.
We form broad coalitions with civil society which aim to raise the voices of those most likely to be impacted by the tech policy we work on, taking an inclusive, intersectional approach.
Equality and Participation
At CDT Europe, we work to increase equality, amplify voices, and promote human rights in European level law and policy debates. We champion policies, laws, and technical designs that protect against invasive, discriminatory, and exploitative uses of new technologies. We use our in-depth tech policy knowledge to build capacity and, in turn, learn from other civil society partners on issues such as discriminatory impact of algorithms and participation in online debates.
Platform Accountability
CDT Europe is closely following European-level legislative files such as the Digital Services Act. In our interventions, CDT Europe insists that online platforms be transparent, accountable, and respect human rights. We also advocate that regulation should set limits on the collection and use of personal information and give people greater control. Our work also focuses on curtailing government censorship and enabling all people to access and share information of their choosing without harassment or undue interference.
Freedom from Government Surveillance
CDT Europe also works at the European-level to ensure that people are free from unwarranted surveillance. In line with international human rights law standards, we advocate that government surveillance should have strict, independent oversight and checks against bias. We also believe that the European Union and its Member States should play a positive role in global debates on better protections against such surveillance, in line with the EU’s own human rights foreign policy.
Funding CDT Europe
The Centre for Democracy & Technology Europe is committed to sound financial stewardship and transparency. We are registered as an international not-for-profit under Belgian law with our own board, and have received clean audits each year from an independent auditing firm since our first year of full operation in 2020. You can find our most recent audited accounts for 2022 here. We are also registered in the EU Transparency Register (no. 57305017757-64).
CDT’s funders have no influence or control over CDT’s projects or priorities, including the content of educational programs, research, written reports, or other work products.
CDT Europe does not accept donations from private companies.
CDT Europe is deeply grateful for the support received from the following foundations in 2022 for their support toward our work: Open Society Foundations, in cooperation with the Europe and Central Asia Program of the Open Society Foundations (OSF); Civitates – a philanthropic initiative for democracy and solidarity in Europe; The European AI & Society Fund; Omydiar Network; and Mozilla Foundation.
Questions?
For general inquiries, please email us at [email protected].
For press inquiries, please email us at [email protected].
📍 CDT Europe
Rue d’Arlon 25
B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
