At the end of last year, CDT Europe’s David Klotsonis and CDT US’ Aliya Bhatia sat down for a transatlantic conversation on one of the most pressing digital policy challenges today: protecting minors online. Drawing on their work tracking debates in both the EU and the US, they unpack how policymakers and platforms are trying to make online spaces safer for young people. The discussion ranges from the influence of platform design choices—like recommender systems—to more controversial tools such as age assurance, with its complex risks and trade-offs. Together, David and Aliya reflect on where approaches align, where they diverge, as well as what these choices mean for the future of child safety online.

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Recorded on the night of the greatest party the on tech policy calendar -- Tech Prom!

CW: Language

Background Music Credit: "Background Music Upbeat" by DELOSound on pixabay.com

Questions of equity, accountability, and data use are taking center stage now that AI reshapes everything from public services to private industry. This episode kicks off our mini transnational series, bringing together CDT Europe’s Laura Lazaro Cabrera and CDT US’s Miranda Bogen for an in-depth conversation on how AI governance is evolving on both sides of the Atlantic. They explore how emerging technologies like AI agents and longstanding data protection principles collide to shape the future of fair and accountable AI. Laura and Miranda also compare the distinct approaches of the EU and the US, highlighting both areas of alignment and key differences in how regulations and organisational incentives are shaping the future of AI

As AI systems become more embedded in critical decisions—from healthcare to hiring—the need for transparency and trust has never been greater. But how do we document these powerful tools in a way that’s both meaningful and actionable?

In this episode, we’ll welcome back Umang Bhatt, Assistant Professor in Trustworthy AI at the University of Cambridge and welcome Amy Winecoff, Senior Technologist for CDT as guest host. Together they’ll explore the evolving landscape of AI documentation, its role in responsible deployment, and how emerging standards can help developers, policymakers, and the public understand and govern machine learning models more effectively.

In this episode of Tech Talks, we dive into the growing debate over online age verification. While often framed as a way to protect children, these policies carry major implications for how everyone, adults and children alike, accesses the internet. Unlike showing an ID at a bar, online age checks can require the collection and even long-term storage of sensitive personal data, raising serious privacy and security concerns.

The UK’s Online Safety Act has already pushed millions of users to prove their age across thousands of sites, from adult content to everyday topics like current affairs and even knitting. In the U.S., states including Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi are rolling out their own requirements, while federal lawmakers weigh new proposals that could expand these mandates even further.

Joining this conversation are Zeve Sanderson of NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics, CDT Research Fellow Michal Luria, and guest host Aliya Bhatia, CDT Senior Policy Analyst. Together, they explore what users really think about age verification, how it changes online behavior, and what’s at stake for balancing child safety with privacy and free expression.

Can AI ever truly be “neutral”? A new Executive Order takes aim at so-called “Woke AI,” raising constitutional concerns and surfacing big technical challenges. In this episode of Tech Talks, CDT’s Amy Winecoff, Senior Technologist, Becca Branum, Deputy Director for the Free Expression Project, and Quinn Anex-Ries, Senior Policy Analyst for the Equity in Civic Technology project, join the conversation to explore why “anti-woke AI” may be more political mirage than technical reality, and what it could mean for the future of technology, policy, and free expression.

Attribution:

Applause 27 seconds, Audience c. 200. Large Hall. by iainmccurdy -- https://freesound.org/s/681093/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

applause_and_whistle.flac by ondrosik -- https://freesound.org/s/187673/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

In this episode, we explore the vital role public interest technologists play in shaping policy. How do technical experts influence legislation around the internet, cybersecurity, AI, and more? What challenges do they face, and how can we encourage more technologists to engage in public policy?

Joining the conversation are Chinmayi Sharma, Associate Professor at Fordham Law School and CDT Non-Resident Fellow, and Nick Doty, CDT’s Senior Technologist.

Tune in as we unpack the intersection of technology and policymaking—and why it matters now more than ever.