Jeff Chester

Jeff Chester is Executive Director of the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD). CDD is a leading public interest organisation advocating on behalf of citizens and consumers on issues related to their digital rights, privacy, and consumer welfare. The group is especially known for its pioneering work to ensure that children and youth are treated fairly online, especially on issues related to their health and social development. Founded in 1991, CDD led the campaign for the passage of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). COPPA has played a key role helping protect the privacy of children 12 and under, as well as limiting their exposure to the powerful and pervasive digital marketing system. Since 2003, CDD has helped place digital privacy on the U.S. policy agenda. More recently, CDD has investigated the impact of consumer health ‘wearables’ on privacy and health-related decision-making. It has also explored the role that ‘Big Data’ and digital marketing play in elections and policy-making. Jeff Chester has an MSW in community mental health awarded by the University of California at Berkeley and was named ‘Domestic Privacy Champion’ in 2011 by the Electronic Privacy Information Center.