Graphic for CDT's European office. Pale blue / green pixelated background, with a portion of the EU flag's circle of stars emblazoned in white on top.

Europe Office

The European Union (EU) and its Member States play a major role in shaping global tech law and policy and exerting influence far beyond their own borders. We also engage and work with the Council of Europe on standard-setting.

CDT Europe advocates for the promotion and protection of democracy and human rights in European tech law and policy.

Questions

For more information about CDT’s European policy efforts, contact Iverna McGowan, Director, Europe Office of CDT, at [email protected].

 

For press inquires, please email our EU press team at [email protected].

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.

Latest from the EU

The CDT logo. A dark grey "cdt" alongside "Center for Democracy & Technology" on a white background.

EU Tech Policy Brief: March 2022 Recap

CDT Europe's response to the European Commission Draft Regulation on the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising. White document on a dark grey background.

CDT Europe Response to the European Commission Draft Regulation on the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising

CDT joins an open letter, urging the European Commission to protect communications' privacy and security while tackling CSAM. White document on a dark grey background.

CDT Joins Letter Urging EU Commission to Protect Communications’ Privacy & Security While Tackling CSAM