To President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr.:<\/p>\n
Congratulations on your historic election victory. The below undersigned organizations are a broad coalition that represent millions of Americans concerned about the concentrated power of Big Tech companies. We look forward to working with your administration to address the harms posed by Big Tech.<\/p>\n
As you prepare for the presidential transition, we write to urge you to reject the influence of these corporations by committing to exclude Big Tech executives, lobbyists, lawyers and consultants from your administration. Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft once promised innovation and opportunity, and while they continue to provide many remarkable products, they now represent serious threats to privacy, democracy, innovation, and Americans\u2019 economic well-being.\u00a0Each of these companies have developed predatory business practices that\u00a0harvest<\/a>\u00a0user data for profit.\u00a0Over the last few years, we have seen how\u00a0Facebook and Google\u00a0irresponsibly wield\u00a0immense influence over\u00a0democratic<\/a> elections,<\/u>\u00a0without oversight or accountability. Despite the myth that\u00a0Silicon\u00a0Valley is rife with entrepreneurs and small businesses capable of disrupting entire industries, these companies have\u00a0killed<\/a>, rather than fostered innovation.\u00a0And during the worst health crisis in recent history, Amazon has\u00a0taken advantage of Americans struggling with the pandemic,\u00a0tripling<\/a>\u00a0their profits\u00a0on price gouged<\/a>\u00a0essential goods.<\/p>\n We believe that your administration must confront the threats posed by the monopolistic Big Tech companies that have exploited consumer privacy, threatened our democracy, stifled innovation, and profited from the pandemic. The time to hold these companies accountable and rein in their power is now. However, we can only bring these companies to account if you do not rely on affiliates of these very companies to make up your government.<\/p>\n Big Tech companies already have significant power and influence in Washington. The companies have massively\u00a0increased<\/a>\u00a0lobbying and campaign spending in recent years, and Facebook and Amazon each\u00a0spend<\/a>\u00a0more on lobbying than any other company in the country.<\/p>\n But the tide is turning.<\/p>\n In recent years, both the public and policy makers alike have begun to see them for what they are: the largest and most valuable companies in the world that have prioritized the pursuit of profit at the expense of American health, welfare, and democracy.\u00a0 In fact, recent\u00a0polling<\/a>\u00a0conducted by Pew Research Center showed that nearly half of Americans want to see Big Tech regulated. In addition, the House Antitrust Subcommittee just completed a historic\u00a0investigation<\/a>\u00a0into the monopoly abuses of Big Tech, and found bipartisan support for legislative and regulatory recommendations to rein in their power. Further, the US Department of Justice recently joined with a group of state Attorneys General to file a historic antitrust suit against Google, and a bipartisan group of states are planning to file an addition suit against Google soon. In addition, and the Federal Trade Commission and numerous states are investigating Facebook, Amazon, and Apple. These companies are the subject of bipartisan investigation and skepticism and should not be a source for personnel in your administration.<\/p>\n We look forward to meeting with your team. They will need to tackle unprecedented challenges of combatting COVID-19, providing economic recovery, promoting racial justice, and tackling the climate crisis. Solving these challenges will require a team of advocates for working people\u2013\u2013not the Big Tech companies that work to exploit them.<\/p>\n With your historic election, and the groundbreaking mandate that Americans have thus entrusted you with, you are facing the challenge of not only rebuilding the country, but also rebuilding trust in government. We believe that eliminating the decades-old revolving door between Silicon Valley and your administration will only help your cause. We look forward to working with your administration to hold Big Tech companies accountable in the months and years ahead.<\/p>\n Sincerely,<\/p>\n Public Citizen<\/p>\n Demand Progress Education Fund<\/p>\n Action Center on Race & the Economy<\/p>\n American Economic Liberties Project<\/p>\n American Family Voices<\/p>\n Americans for Financial Reform<\/p>\n Artist Rights Alliance<\/p>\n Athena<\/p>\n Awood Center<\/p>\n Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood<\/p>\n Center for Digital Democracy<\/p>\n Consumer Action<\/p>\n Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)<\/p>\n Fight for the Future<\/p>\n Fix Democracy First<\/p>\n Food & Water Watch<\/p>\n Future of Music Coalition<\/p>\n Global Exchange<\/p>\n Institute for Local Self-Reliance<\/p>\n Jobs With Justice<\/p>\n Main Street Alliance<\/p>\n Make the Road New York<\/p>\n Media Alliance<\/p>\n Open Markets Institute<\/p>\n Organic Consumers Association<\/p>\n Other98<\/p>\n Parent Coalition for Student Privacy<\/p>\n People’s Parity Project<\/p>\n Progressive Democrats of America<\/p>\n Revolving Door Project<\/p>\n Sciencecorps<\/p>\n Take on Wall Street<\/p>\n The Democratic Coalition<\/p>\n ","protected":false},"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-70431","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","tax_topic-antitrust-competition-laws","tax_topic-big-tech","tax_topic-calling-out-commercialism","tax_topic-consumer-worker-safeguards","tax_topic-corporate-influence-in-government","tax_topic-ethics-lobbying-reform","tax_topic-making-government-work","tax_topic-money-in-politics","tax_topic-protecting-democracy","tax_topic-regulatory-safeguards","tax_type-letters-testimony-filings"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n