Newsroom Statements

Clear Filters
Statements
Aug 28, 2024
Accountable Tech Statement on Advancement of California’s Landmark AI Safety Bill

Today, the California General Assembly passed the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act (SB 1047) — a landmark bill that would require AI developers to adhere to common sense safety guidelines for new AI models. The legislation, which is sponsored by California State Senator Scott Wiener, would introduce crucial guardrails around AI development, including requiring pre-deployment safety testing and third-party auditing. The bill will head back to the State Senate for a confirmation vote and then to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk.

Read more
Statements
Aug 16, 2024
Accountable Tech on Appeals Court Ruling on the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act

Accountable Tech Executive Director and Co-Founder Nicole Gill issued the following statement on the Ninth Circuit Court’s narrowing of the district court’s injunction blocking California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code: The Ninth Circuit’s ruling makes clear that the lower court’s injunction was far too broad. The district court must now reconsider the safety-by-design and privacy-by-default protections central to the Age-Appropriate Design Code.

Read more
Statements
Aug 12, 2024
New: Meta’s Political Content Limit Causes 65% Drop in Reach for Prominent Accounts

Accountable Tech released a new report today that assessed the impact of Meta’s political content limit setting that the company announced in February. Researchers found that the implementation of this policy caused a 65% decrease in reach for the average piece of content posted from the prominent Instagram accounts studied.

Read more
Statements
Aug 09, 2024
40 Civil Society Orgs Demand Big Tech Take Action to Prevent Deepfakes from Harming Democracy

A new joint letter from dozens of civil society organizations, including watchdog Accountable Tech, calls for social media companies to implement safeguards against the rampant spread of political deepfakes.

Read more
Statements
Aug 05, 2024
Accountable Tech Statement on DOJ’s Antitrust Victory Against Google

Accountable Tech Executive Director and Co-Founder Nicole Gill issued the following statement on U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta’s ruling in the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against Google, deciding that it violated antitrust laws for abusing its monopoly over online search:

Read more
Statements
Aug 02, 2024
New Poll: Public Support Shows Why Donor Pressure is Unlikely to Change Vice President Harris’s Approach to Big Tech

A new memo from Accountable Tech highlights Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s strong record on tech accountability, showing why donor pressure from tech executives and Silicon Valley investors is unlikely to change Harris’ approach to Big Tech. The memo features new polling from Accountable Tech and Data For Progress that finds an overwhelming majority of U.S. voters support Harris in calling for Big Tech accountability.

Read more
Statements
Jul 30, 2024
Accountable Tech Statement on Senate Passage of KOSA and COPPA 2.0

Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act (KOSPA), a package bill that includes the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and Children and Teen Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0):

Read more
Statements
Jul 22, 2024
Accountable Tech on White House Report to Address Online Youth Safety

Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill issued the following statement on the release of the Biden administration’s interagency task force report to protect the online safety and privacy of children and young people:

Read more
Statements
Jul 12, 2024
Accountable Tech on Meta Removing Trump Account Restrictions

Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill issued the following statement on Meta removing its restrictions to former President Trump’s accounts ahead of the 2024 elections:

Read more
Statements
Jul 01, 2024
Accountable Tech Statement on Supreme Court Content Moderation Cases

In response to the Supreme Court vacating NetChoice v. Paxton and Moody v. NetChoice, Accountable Tech Executive Director and Co-Founder Nicole Gill issued the following statement:

Read more
Statements
Jun 26, 2024
Accountable Tech Statement on Meta’s Erroneous Limitation of Political Content

Accountable Tech Executive Director and Co-Founder Nicole Gill issued the following statement on Meta briefly defaulting all Instagram accounts to limit political content, a day before the first U.S. presidential debate:

Read more
Statements
Jun 26, 2024
Accountable Tech Statement on Murthy v. Missouri

Following today’s Supreme Court decision on Murthy v. Missouri, Accountable Tech Executive Director and Co-Founder Nicole Gill issued the following statement:

Read more
Statements
Jun 13, 2024
Accountable Tech on Governor Scott’s Veto of Vermont Kids Code

Accountable Tech Executive Director and Co-Founder Nicole Gill issued the following statement on Governor Phil Scott’s veto of the Vermont Data Privacy Act (H.121), which includes the Vermont Kids Code.

Read more
Statements
May 15, 2024
Accountable Tech Statement on Senator Schumer’s AI Roadmap

Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill issued the following statement on Senator Schumer’s AI roadmap.

Read more
Statements
May 11, 2024
Accountable Tech Statement on the Passage of Vermont Kids Code

Accountable Tech Executive Director and Co-Founder Nicole Gill issued the following statement on the passage of the Vermont Kids Code.

Read more
Statements
May 09, 2024
Accountable Tech Statement on Governor Moore Signing Maryland Kids Code Into Law

Accountable Tech Executive Director and Co-Founder Nicole Gill issued the following statement on Governor Wes Moore signing the Maryland Kids Code into law today.

Read more
Statements
Apr 22, 2024
Accountable Tech Statement on the Biden Administration’s New HIPAA Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy

Accountable Tech Executive Director and Co-Founder Nicole Gill issued the following statement in response to a new rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Read more
Statements
Apr 10, 2024
200+ Creators Call on Instagram to Stop Limiting “Political Content” By Default

Accountable Tech and GLAAD organized an open letter signed by more than 200 creators with a collective following of more than 18 million Instagram users calling on Meta to give users the autonomy to adjust their algorithm by making the setting to limit political and social issues content opt-in rather than on-by-default.

Read more
Statements
Apr 06, 2024
Accountable Tech Statement on Passage of Maryland Kids Code

Accountable Tech Executive Director and Co-Founder Nicole Gill issued the following statement on the Maryland General Assembly’s unanimous passage of the Kids Code, which now heads to Governor Wes Moore’s desk.

Read more
Statements
Mar 18, 2024
Accountable Tech Statement in Response to Oral Arguments in Murthy v. Missouri

Following today’s Supreme Court oral arguments on Murthy v. Missouri, Accountable Tech Executive Director and Co-Founder Nicole Gill issued the following statement.

Read more
Statements
Mar 05, 2024
NEW: All Major Social Media Platforms Are Failing on Election Preparedness Policies

Accountable Tech scorecard comes as estimated two billion people worldwide head to the polls in 2024.

Read more
Statements
Mar 01, 2024
POLL: American Voters are Overwhelmingly Concerned about Big Tech’s Fight Against Regulation

New polling from Accountable Tech and Data For Progress reveals that voters are concerned about Big Tech’s work to overturn regulations; new report sheds light on the hypocrisy of Big Tech leaders.

Read more
Statements
Feb 16, 2024
Accountable Tech on New Big Tech “Accord” to Address AI Election Content

Digital ad buy and accompanying “Broken Promises Report” highlights examples of tech CEOs calling for self-regulation before defying their own rules.

Read more
Statements
Feb 15, 2024
Accountable Tech Calls For Full Senate Vote on the Kids Online Safety Act

Accountable Tech Executive Director and Co-Founder Nicole Gill issued the following statement on the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).

Read more
Statements
Feb 06, 2024
Accountable Tech Targets X and Snap in New Digital Ad Buy

Accountable Tech is targeting Twitter/X and Snap Inc. employees in a new digital ad buy, urging them to call on the companies to leave NetChoice and to stop funding lobbying efforts against legislation that would protect kids online. CEOs Evan Spiegel of Snap Inc. and Linda Yaccarino of X both testified in last week’s Senate Judiciary hearing on youth online safety.

Read more
Statements
Jan 30, 2024
Accountable Tech Launches Digital Ad Buy Calling on Snap to Leave NetChoice

Ahead of tomorrow’s Big Tech hearing on youth online safety, the ad buy targets Snap Inc. employees urging them to call on the company to stop funding lobbying efforts against legislation to protect kids online

Read more
Statements
Jan 26, 2024
Accountable Tech Asks Snap to Pull Funding from NetChoice following Company’s Endorsement of Kids Online Safety Act

Ahead of CEO Evan Spiegel's appearance before Senate Judiciary Committee next week, AT asks Snap to pull out of lobby group NetChoice, clarify position on children’s online safety

Read more
Statements
Jan 17, 2024
Google is Still Failing to Protect Privacy of Abortion Seekers

Data gathered by Accountable Tech in 7 states found that Google still collects and retains Location History data for visits to abortion clinics despite promising 18 months ago to “delete these entries”

Read more
Statements
Dec 22, 2023
Broad Group of Advocates and Experts File Amicus Briefs Countering Big Tech’s Attack on Landmark California Law Protecting Kids Online

Groups representing nearly 2 million educators, physicians, legal experts, tech whistleblowers, technologists, plus 21 bipartisan state Attorneys General, and the FTC file briefs urging Ninth Circuit to block Big Tech’s effort to weaponize First Amendment, overturn the nation’s first comprehensive children’s privacy law and imperil existing consumer safety laws

Read more
Statements
Dec 12, 2023
Statement on Google Maps’s New and Enhanced Privacy Features

In July 2022, Google promised to delete sensitive location data to protect people seeking abortion care in a post-Roe America, but in the past year and a half has fallen short. We are encouraged by their latest announcement to better protect the privacy of the millions of people who use their products everyday.

Read more
Statements
Nov 17, 2023
Statement on Apple and IBM’s Decision to Pause Advertising on X

As we’ve long said, Elon Musk has turned Twitter into a hellscape of hate and conspiracy, and any company advertising on his platform must reckon with the reality that they are simultaneously funding that bile and putting their brand at severe risk.

Read more
Statements
Nov 02, 2023
Statement on Latest Meta Whistleblower Report

As long as Big Tech chooses to operate under their toxic business model, we should expect more of these disturbing reports to come to light.

Read more
Statements
Oct 30, 2023
Statement on President Biden’s Executive Order on AI

We applaud President Biden’s Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence for its commitment to protecting the safety and well-being of people in the face of rapid AI development and deployment.

Read more
Statements
Oct 24, 2023
Statement on Lawsuit by States Against Meta’s Role in Youth Mental Health Crisis

We applaud today’s bipartisan lawsuit by state attorneys general to curb Big Tech’s unchecked power over our daily lives and protect young people from the online harms they face every day.

Read more
Statements
Sep 27, 2023
Leading Civil Society Groups Introduce Election Integrity Framework for Online Platforms

With more than 50 countries set to hold elections in 2024, a coalition of leading civil society organizations at the nexus of democracy and technology today announced a new election integrity framework that focuses on content-agnostic recommendations for online platforms to mitigate the threats of election manipulation.

Read more
Statements
Sep 26, 2023
Accountable Tech Applauds FTC’s Historic Lawsuit Against Amazon’s Monopoly Abuses

Today’s lawsuit filed by the FTC and state attorneys general is a watershed moment. We applaud these regulators for bringing this case, which signals a historic commitment to holding Big Tech monopolists accountable.

Read more
Statements
Sep 18, 2023
Accountable Tech Applauds the Reintroduction of the Banning Surveillance Advertising Act

The endless collection of personal data to micro-target ads is the very core of Big Tech’s toxic business model and a powerful driving force behind the rise of extremism and misinformation, in addition to a myriad other societal harms.

Read more
Statements
Sep 18, 2023
Civil Society Groups, Legal Scholars and Youth Advocates Condemn Ruling to Block the California Age-Appropriate Design Code

By calling for safety by design and privacy by default, the Age-Appropriate Design Code serves as a road to accountability for tech companies. Instead, today’s decision gives tech companies a free pass to put profit over kids’ safety online.

Read more
Statements
Sep 12, 2023
Ahead of Hearings on AI, Accountable Tech Reminds Senators of Broken Promises from Big Tech

Today, Accountable Tech launched a digital ad buy and a new report highlighting Big Tech’s alarming history of making and then breaking their own public commitments on privacy and safety.

Read more
Statements
Aug 10, 2023
Accountable Tech, AI Now, EPIC Release Zero Trust AI Governance Framework

With Big Tech jockeying to secure a new era of self-regulation amid the AI arms race, leading civil society organizations Accountable Tech, AI Now Institute, and EPIC jointly released a new “Zero Trust AI Governance” framework Thursday.

Read more
Statements
Jul 21, 2023
Statement on Big Tech Companies’ Commitment to Voluntary AI Safeguards

At a moment when policymakers are racing the clock to harness the potential and curb the dangers of AI, we applaud the Biden Administration for its leadership in bringing the largest AI companies together around a set of basic voluntary safeguards.

Read more
Statements
Jun 02, 2023
Statement on Meta’s Decision to Block News Content in Canada

Today’s decision demonstrates how much power Big Tech has over our communication systems and the distribution of news, and how little they care about anything other than profits.

Read more
Statements
May 24, 2023
U.S. Senators Demand Google Answer for Abortion Lies Revealed by Accountable Tech Research

Today, Democratic senators sent a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, demanding more information on the company’s data practices after Accountable Tech’s exclusive research found that Google continues to track and retain sensitive location history data from abortion seekers.

Read more
Statements
May 24, 2023
Statement on Elon Musk’s Embrace of Ron DeSantis: “Companies that give ad money to Twitter might as well be cutting a check to the DeSantis campaign”

Elon Musk has already turned Twitter into a hellscape of hate and conspiracy. But his full-throated embrace of Ron DeSantis – only weeks after Tucker Carlson announced he would revive his Fox News show on Twitter – is a new low for what was once one of the world’s most important communication platforms.

Read more
Statements
May 23, 2023
Accountable Tech on Meta’s $1.3 Billion EU Fine: “One of The Worst Violators of Privacy Laws”

This is a consistent issue we’ve seen with Meta over the last decade plus, where their business model is premised on collecting enormous amounts of personal data and weaponizing it to do surveillance advertising for colossal profits.

Read more
Statements
May 22, 2023
Accountable Tech On Minnesota Legislature’s Failure to Pass the Age Appropriate Design Code

Once again, elected officials have sided with Big Tech, choosing to prioritize their interests over the safety of Minnesota children.

Read more
Statements
May 09, 2023
Accountable Tech Leads Day of Action Calling on Google to Stop Collecting and Retaining Sensitive Health Location Data that Endangers Abortion Seekers

Today, Accountable Tech and a coalition of advocacy partners led a Day of Action calling on Google to stop collecting and retaining sensitive user data that can be used to prosecute people seeking abortion care in post-Roe America.

Read more
Statements
May 02, 2023
Statement on Senator Blumenthal and Blackburn’s Proposed Kids Online Safety Act

The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) represents a critical step towards protecting our kids and teens online. Big Tech companies are shamelessly cashing in on a perverse business model that harms young people.

Read more
Statements
Apr 11, 2023
BREAKING: Despite Promises, Google Continues to Track and Retain Location Data for Abortion Clinic Visits

Today, Accountable Tech released new field research – documented in real-time by an NBC News crew – revealing that Google continues to collect and retain location data from individuals visiting abortion clinics, which could be weaponized by prosecutors, despite the tech behemoth’s repeated claims to the contrary.

Read more
Statements
Mar 29, 2023
New Poll Shows Dangers of Social Media Design for Young Americans, Sparks Renewed Call for Tech Regulation

New polling released today by Accountable Tech and LOG OFF finds that the design of social media and online platforms is actively harming U.S. teens — adding further evidence for why design reforms outlined in the Age Appropriate Design Code are desperately needed to protect kids online.

Read more
Statements
Mar 21, 2023
Statement on Trump’s Dangerous Online Rhetoric, as Law Enforcement Readies for Violent Protests

In January, while giving Trump the keys to his Facebook account, Meta claimed the threat he posed to public safety had ‘subsided.’ On Friday, YouTube followed suit, citing a ‘careful’ evaluation of the risk of violence.

Read more
Statements
Mar 17, 2023
Accountable Tech Statement on YouTube’s Decision to Reinstate Donald Trump

The very same day Trump released a video calling the 2020 election ‘stolen’ and demanding January 6th insurrectionists be released from prison, YouTube decided to let him back on their platform.

Read more
Statements
Feb 13, 2023
Youth Activist Emma Lembke to Testify on Online Harms Before Senate Judiciary Committee

Tomorrow, youth activist Emma Lembke – a former Accountable Tech intern who continues to work closely with the organization – will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about Big Tech’s ongoing exploitation of our children for profit.

Read more
Statements
Feb 07, 2023
Accountable Tech Applauds President Biden for Outlining Bold Steps to Hold Big Tech Accountable

Accountable Tech applauds President Biden’s bold demand to hold social media companies to account for their broken profit model, calling for long overdue safeguards that force online platforms and apps to prioritize the safety, health, and privacy of their users – especially children and teens.

Read more
Statements
Jan 25, 2023
Accountable Tech Statement on Meta’s Decision to Reinstate Donald Trump

Today, Meta chose to put its own profits above American democracy and the real-world safety of its users.

Read more
Statements
Jan 24, 2023
Accountable Tech Applauds DOJ’s Antitrust Suit Against Google

We applaud this much-needed action from the Department of Justice, and will continue our work advocating for structural reform to hold Big Tech monopolies like Google accountable.

Read more
Statements
Jan 17, 2023
Accountable Tech Demands Meta “Keep Trump Off Facebook” with Mobile Billboards Outside Meta Offices in San Francisco, DC, and New York

Mobile billboards from Accountable Tech are circling the national mall and Meta offices in Menlo Park, New York City, and Washington, DC today urging Facebook to uphold its ban of former President Donald Trump.

Read more
Statements
Jan 04, 2023
Accountable Tech Statement on Landmark Ruling Against Meta’s Surveillance Advertising Business

This ruling is a landmark victory in the fight against tech giants who extract users’ personal data without consent, manipulate us, and warp public discourse in service of their toxic business model.

Read more
Statements
Dec 15, 2022
Accountable Tech Statement on Twitter’s Suspension of Reporters’ Accounts

Tonight, companies that have continued to advertise on Twitter face a choice: Do you want to be complicit in the real-time censorship of free press in America?

Read more
Statements
Dec 14, 2022
AT + MMFA Release New Research, TV Ad in Push to Keep Trump Off Facebook

Accountable Tech released new research finding that more than 350 posts from Donald Trump’s “Truth Social” account – the equivalent of two posts per day – would directly violate Facebook’s Community Standards.

Read more
Statements
Nov 23, 2022
On the Heels of Landmark California Kids and Teens Online Safety Bill, Meta Announces Updated Safety and Privacy Measures

These updates show why passing laws that change the incentive structure for Big Tech is imperative. The California Age Appropriate Design Code is already pushing companies like Meta to proactively enhance their existing limited privacy and safety measures for children and teens.

Read more
Statements
Nov 20, 2022
As Elon Musk Replatforms Donald Trump, #StopToxicTwitter Coalition Renews Calls for Corporations to Stop Advertising on Twitter

In his three weeks as Twitter CEO, Elon Musk has orchestrated a mass exodus of safety experts and turned the platform into a hellscape of misinformation, hate, and extremism. Now he has decided to hastily and unilaterally replatform Donald Trump — the man who incited a deadly insurrection against the U.S. government. 

Read more
Statements
Nov 10, 2022
Accountable Tech Statement on Mass Exodus of Twitter’s Safety, Security, and Privacy Experts

Elon Musk is incinerating his new $44 billion toy like it’s a self-driving Tesla, and the rest of us are engulfed in the flames.

Read more
Statements
Nov 04, 2022
#StopToxicTwitter Coalition Calls for Corporations to Stop Advertising Buys on Twitter, as Elon Musk’s Layoffs Cut Content Moderation and Brand Safeguards

The #StopToxicTwitter coalition, made up of more than 60 civil rights and civil society groups, issued an urgent call to Twitter advertisers, demanding they stop buys on the platform in the wake of Elon Musk’s sweeping layoffs.

Read more
Statements
Nov 01, 2022
Open Letter to Twitter’s Top 20 Advertisers

An open letter to the CEOs of the top advertising companies on Twitter from Accountable Tech and other partner organizations.

Read more
Statements
Nov 01, 2022
Civil-Society Groups Call on Twitter’s Top-20 Advertisers to Demand that Elon Musk Fulfill His Promise to Safeguard Their Brands and Protect Users

On Tuesday, more than 40 civil-society groups called on Twitter’s top-20 advertisers to inform Elon Musk that they will suspend all advertising on the platform if he follows through on plans to undermine the social network’s community standards and content moderation.

Read more
Statements
Oct 27, 2022
Stop the Deal Coalition Statement on Elon Musk’s Twitter Acquisition Deal

Elon Musk’s plans for Twitter will make it an even more hate-filled cesspool, leading to irreparable real-world harm. Musk’s plans will leave the platform more vulnerable to security threats, rampant disinformation, and extremism just ahead of the midterm elections.

Read more
Statements
Oct 27, 2022
Statement on Elon Musk’s Acquisition of Twitter

It’s also difficult to overstate the national security threat that this deal poses. Musk is a Putin propagandist with a pattern of close ties to hostile foreign governments – many of whom have financial and strategic interests in the deal.

Read more
Statements
Oct 26, 2022
New Six-Figure TV Ad Buy Slams Facebook for Gutting Election Integrity Safeguards Ahead of Midterms

Big Tech watchdog Accountable Tech announced a $250,000 national TV and digital ad buy slamming Facebook for rolling back election integrity safeguards ahead of the upcoming midterms.

Read more
Statements
Oct 04, 2022
Statement on Elon Musk’s Proposal to Proceed with Twitter Deal

An Elon Musk takeover of Twitter would provide a megaphone to extremists, threaten public safety, and devastate our already fragile democracy.

Read more
Statements
Sep 22, 2022
Statement on News that Meta is Considering Replatforming Trump

Meta’s indication that Donald Trump will be allowed back on the platform – despite his increasingly dangerous behavior since – would be equivalent to handing a flamethrower to an arsonist.

Read more
Statements
Sep 15, 2022
With Governor Newsom’s Signature, California Becomes the First State in the U.S. to Protect Kids and Teens Online

In signing the California Age Appropriate Design Code Act into law, Governor Newsom is sending a clear message to Big Tech: Put our children over your profits.

Read more
Statements
Aug 29, 2022
Statement on California State Senate’s Passage of Age-Appropriate Design Code Act

Today California took a massive step forward in securing a future in which the internet is fundamentally designed around the best interests of young people.

Read more
Statements
Aug 15, 2022
New TV Ads in 5 States Urge Lawmakers to Rein in Prices By Voting for Big Tech Antitrust Bills

Accountable Tech announced a multi-state TV ad-buy urging the Senate to pass the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA) and the Open App Markets Act (OAMA) this fall.

Read more
Statements
Aug 11, 2022
Accountable Tech Applauds FTC’s Proposed Rulemaking to Crack Down on Commercial Surveillance

Today’s announcement by the FTC represents a critical first step toward cracking down on the egregious intrusions and exploitation of the ever-expanding surveillance economy.

Read more
Statements
Aug 11, 2022
California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act Clears Final Legislative Hurdle Before Passage

Today’s vote in the California Senate Appropriations Committee brings us closer than ever to securing a future in which the internet is fundamentally designed around the best interests of young people.

Read more
Statements
Jul 21, 2022
Accountable Tech, 15 Partner Organizations Question Google’s Data Collection Practices For Those Seeking Abortion Care

The devastating Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade has turned Big Tech’s surveillance tools, and the troves of sensitive data they collect, into a weapon-in-waiting that will be deployed against people seeking reproductive care.

Read more
Statements
Jul 08, 2022
Statement on Elon Musk’s Imperiled Twitter Acquisition

From the start, Musk has made it clear that his vision for Twitter would pose a dire threat to user safety and democratic ideals. That’s why Accountable Tech led the ‘Stop the Deal’ campaign with more than a dozen nonprofit partners – and it’s why we have fought tooth and nail to upend this agreement.

Read more
Statements
Jul 08, 2022
Statement on President Biden’s Action to Protect Online Privacy and Combat Reproductive Health Misinformation

We’re grateful to President Biden for taking these necessary steps to help protect patients and keep Big Tech from profiting off the criminalization of reproductive health care.

Read more
Statements
Jun 09, 2022
Student Defense, Accountable Tech Worry FAFSA Student Data Sent to Facebook Could be Used for Predatory, Discriminatory Advertising

Student Defense and Accountable Tech today called for a full investigation into reports that the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) released personally identifiable information from an unknown number of federal aid applicants to Facebook.

Read more
Statements
Jun 08, 2022
Accountable Tech Raises Alarm over Elon Musk’s Data Grab in Letter to Twitter, Congress

Accountable Tech sent a letter to Twitter general counsel Vijaya Gadde on Wednesday imploring the company to resist Elon Musk’s demands for access to sensitive data on millions of users.

Read more
Statements
Jun 03, 2022
Stop The Deal: Nonprofit Coalition Launches Campaign Against Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover

Today, a diverse coalition of nonprofit advocacy organizations launched “Stop The Deal” – a multifaceted campaign designed to upend Elon Musk’s hostile takeover of Twitter, and stave off the myriad harms inherent to Musk’s vision.

Read more
Statements
May 24, 2022
With Roe Decision Looming, AT Joins Chorus Urging Google to End Dangerous Location Data Practices

If Roe v. Wade is overturned and states enact draconian anti-abortion laws, Big Tech could be further weaponized to target people seeking reproductive care.

Read more
Statements
May 19, 2022
Statement on the FTC’s Crackdown on Child Surveillance

With today’s unanimously approved policy statement, Chair Khan and the FTC have sent a powerful message that they will use every tool at their disposal to safeguard our kids from exploitative tech companies.

Read more
Statements
May 10, 2022
Statement on Elon Musk’s Plans to Reinstate Donald Trump on Twitter

Let’s be clear: Donald Trump was banned from Twitter in January 2021 for inciting and glorifying violence. His tweets – particularly after the January 6th insurrection – were in clear violation of  Twitter’s policies.

Read more
Statements
Apr 25, 2022
Statement on Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover

Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter will further toxify our information ecosystem and threaten public safety, especially for those who are already most vulnerable.

Read more
Statements
Apr 21, 2022
Obama Outlines Existential Threat Big Tech Poses to Democracy

In his keynote address at Stanford University’s “Challenges to Democracy in the Digital Information Realm” Symposium, President Barack Obama outlined Big Tech’s role in supercharging disinformation and undermining democracy across the globe.

Read more
Statements
Mar 24, 2022
Statement on the EU’s Digital Markets Act

The agreement struck Thursday finalizing the Digital Markets Act (DMA) is a transformational moment in the movement to rein in Big Tech’s monopoly abuses – not just in the EU, but globally.

Read more
Statements
Mar 10, 2022
Youth Activists Outline Social Media Harms, Discuss Solutions with Sen. Blumenthal

Accountable Tech hosted a roundtable with five youth activists and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) on social media’s impact on young people’s mental health.

Read more
Statements
Mar 01, 2022
Statement on President Biden’s Strategy to Address Big Tech’s Role in Our National Mental Health Crisis

We applaud President Biden for recognizing the inconvenient truth Big Tech executives continue to deny—that their products and platforms now play an important role in defining the future of this country.

Read more
Statements
Jan 27, 2022
Dozens of Key Stakeholders Formally Urge FTC to Ban Surveillance Advertising

The FTC received dozens of submissions from a diverse cross-section of leading advocacy organizations, businesses, lawmakers, and experts – along with more than 2,000 grassroots supporters – urging the Commission to promulgate new rules to prohibit this unfair method of competition.

Read more
Statements
Jan 20, 2022
Bipartisan Antitrust Vote Caps Landmark Week For Tech Reform

The critical vote served as a forceful bipartisan message to Big Tech executives and lobbyists in the face of their frenzied and dishonest campaign to sink the bill.

Read more
Statements
Jan 18, 2022
Statement on the Banning Surveillance Advertising Act

Big Tech will continue stoking discrimination, division, and delusion until we upend this perverse incentive structure – which is exactly what Reps. Eshoo and Schakowsky, and Sen. Booker’s Banning Surveillance Advertising Act would do.

Read more
Statements
Oct 22, 2021
Accountable Tech Launches “Main Street Against Big Tech” Campaign to Tell Small Business Owners’ Stories

Accountable Tech launched “Main Street Against Big Tech,” a six-figure national campaign and storytelling effort to demonstrate the variety of ways in which Big Tech squeeze and exploit small businesses across the country.

Read more
Statements
Oct 14, 2021
Landmark Senate Bill Shows Unprecedented Bipartisan Momentum to #ReinInBigTech

Amid historic polarization in Washington, this bipartisan show of force sends an unmistakable message that the era of impunity is over.

Read more
Statements
Sep 30, 2021
Accountable Tech Launches TV Ads on Facebook’s Coverup of Harms to Kids

This morning, Accountable Tech launched a six-figure national cable ad urging Congress to investigate Facebook over recent revelations that the company concealed internal research.

Read more
Statements
Sep 28, 2021
Accountable Tech Petitions FTC to Ban Surveillance Advertising as an ‘Unfair Method of Competition’

Accountable Tech filed a significant rulemaking petition Thursday urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to ban surveillance advertising.

Read more
Statements
Sep 14, 2021
Statement on Facebook’s Cover-Up of Teen Trauma

There is nothing more chilling than turning one’s back on a child who’s in harm’s way. Yet, this is what Facebook and Instagram executives do every day.

Read more
Statements
Aug 18, 2021
Statement on Facebook’s Latest Claims about Tackling Vaccine Misinformation

Facebook is teeming with deadly vaccine misinformation. You don’t have to take my word for it – just spend a few hours on the platform.

Read more
Statements
Jul 27, 2021
New Poll Shows Parents Distrust Big Tech, Strongly Support Expanding Online Protections For Kids

Accountable Tech released a new national poll of 1,000 parents of school-aged children – conducted by GQR Research – measuring their sentiments about the behavior of major tech platforms and key issues facing kids and teens online.

Read more
Statements
Jul 06, 2021
Accountable Tech Launches FOIA Investigation into Facebook’s Coordination with Trump Administration

Today, Accountable Tech launched an investigation into Facebook’s coordination with the Trump Administration by filing a series of FOIA requests with agencies across the federal government.

Read more
Statements
Jun 24, 2021
Statement on Historic Advances to Rein In Big Tech

The House Judiciary Committee just advanced five separate bipartisan bills that would break the Silicon Valley stranglehold on American commerce, consumers, and communications.

Read more
Statements
Jun 22, 2021
Accountable Tech Launches Ads Backing Bills to Rein In Big Tech

Today, Accountable Tech is launching a new $50,000 ad campaign supporting the House Judiciary Committee’s bipartisan legislative package to rein in Big Tech ahead of Wednesday’s markup.

Read more
Statements
Jun 17, 2021
Reining In Big Tech’s Monopoly Power

Republicans and Democrats are coming together to bring an end to this era of impunity. The historic legislative package to rein in Big Tech is the culmination of two years of bipartisan work.

Read more
Statements
Jun 15, 2021
Statement on Lina Khan’s Confirmation to the Federal Trade Commission

The overwhelming bipartisan support for Professor Lina Khan to serve as Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reflects the urgent need and strong public desire to hold Big Tech accountable.

Read more
Statements
May 04, 2021
Statement on Tomorrow’s Facebook Oversight Board Ruling

First, let’s be absolutely clear: When a company establishes its own quasi-judicial global ‘supreme court’ for self-regulation, that’s not a constraint on its power – it’s an absurd embodiment of it.

Read more
Statements
Dec 18, 2020
Statement on Joining Onward Together

It’s a tremendous honor to join the Onward Together family, and to have the opportunity to work alongside such a dynamic coalition of leaders in the fight for a more just future.

Read more
Statements
Dec 09, 2020
Statement on Antitrust Lawsuits Brought Against Facebook

The lawsuits filed today send a strong message to Facebook that their era of impunity is coming to an end. For years, Facebook has exploited its gatekeeper status to further entrench its monopoly power.

Read more
Statements
Dec 03, 2020
Statement on Jeff Zients Being Tapped as COVID Czar

While Jeff Zients is rightfully renowned as a talented problem-solver, his recent service on Facebook’s Board of Directors raises serious concerns about how he’ll navigate his role as the incoming administration’s COVID-19 czar.

Read more
Statements
Nov 11, 2020
Statement on Facebook and Google’s Ad Moratorium

If Facebook and Google are truly incapable of reviewing and safely running Georgia Senate ads without opening the floodgates of paid disinformation across their platforms, it’s a damning indictment of their own business model.

Read more
Statements
Oct 30, 2020
Statement on Facebook’s Political Advertising Debacle

It’s infuriating to see Facebook’s ineptitude and aversion to transparency once again inflict avoidable damage during the final stretch of an election.

Read more
Statements
Oct 26, 2020
Accountable Tech and Partners Urge Voter Protection Preclearance for Social Media

Platforms must do more to address these harms before users are exposed, and they have the tools to do it. Facebook and Twitter already use proactive detection and enforcement, combining AI and human review to preempt other violations.

Read more
Statements
Oct 23, 2020
New Poll Measures Public Sentiment on Section 230, Antitrust Actions, Election Misinformation

Digital ad buy and accompanying “Broken Promises Report” highlights examples of tech CEOs calling for self-regulation before defying their own rules.

Read more
Statements
Oct 21, 2020
Accountable Tech Launches New TV Ad: “Proud Of”

Today, Accountable Tech is launching a new $250,000 ad buy calling out Facebook for facilitating the spread of misinformation and hate with real-world consequences.

Read more
Statements
Sep 29, 2020
Broad Coalition Urges Facebook To #StopGroupRecs Until Election Results Are Certified

Facebook Groups pose a singular threat to this election season. They’ve become hidden breeding grounds for disinformation campaigns and organizing platforms for extremists. And Facebook’s AI actively grows these dangerous networks by promoting them to vulnerable users.

Read more
Statements
Sep 24, 2020
Statement on Facebook Oversight Board’s Press Offensive

Nearly three years after Mark Zuckerberg set into motion plans for a so-called ‘Supreme Court’ – and after months of sustained pressure for the Oversight Board to grapple with urgent Facebook debacles around the globe – board members have embarked on a press tour about their impending launch.

Read more
Statements
Sep 10, 2020
Accountable Tech Launches Election Integrity Roadmap For Social Media Platforms

Accountable Tech launched a comprehensive Election Integrity Roadmap for social media platforms as they navigate an election season fraught with unprecedented challenges.

Read more
Statements
Sep 01, 2020
Statement on Chan and Zuckerberg Election Investment

Digital ad buy and accompanying “Broken Promises Report” highlights examples of tech CEOs calling for self-regulation before defying their own rules.

Read more
Statements
Aug 20, 2020
New Report Shows How Facebook’s Algorithms Boosted Hate and Misinformation at Inflection Points

Today, Accountable Tech released a new report examining how Facebook’s algorithms operated during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the wake of George Floyd’s killing – and found they played a toxic role at each of these inflection points.

Read more
Statements
Jul 30, 2020
Facebook and Twitter Must Act on Election Disinformation

President Trump’s posts this morning should be a blaring red siren for social media platforms, whose woefully inadequate election misinformation policies continue to undermine the integrity of our democracy.

Read more
Statements
Jul 29, 2020
Antitrust Hearing Advances Case for Serious Reforms | Zuckerberg Emails Reveal Anti-Competitive Acquisition of Instagram

Big Tech companies serve as information and market gatekeepers, but they have consistently abused that status to maximize profits at the expense of the public good. As today’s hearing made clear, their monopoly-like power begets more anti-competitive behavior and removes the incentives to act responsibly.

Read more
Statements
Jul 23, 2020
New Polling Highlights America’s Views on Big Tech, Facebook Boycott, Mark Zuckerberg

According to new exclusive polling conducted by GQR, Americans overwhelmingly agree that social media companies should do more to combat online hate and misinformation, that Big Tech companies have too much power, and that the Stop Hate For Profit campaign is demanding much-need reforms.

Read more
Statements
Jul 20, 2020
Advocacy Groups Release Open Letter Urging Facebook Oversight Board Members To Take A Stand

A broad coalition of civil rights, free press, environmental, and tech accountability groups has released an open letter to the U.S.-based members of the Facebook Oversight Board urging them to resign in protest unless they are empowered to swiftly address the platform’s facilitation of voter suppression and climate denialism.

Read more
Statements
Jun 30, 2020
Accountable Tech Launches Campaign, Ads Targeting Facebook’s Faux ‘Supreme Court’

Amid growing outrage over Facebook’s refusal to crack down on hate and disinformation, Accountable Tech launched a multi-pronged campaign Tuesday targeting their toothless Oversight Board.

Read more
Statements
Jun 17, 2020
Statement on Zuckerberg Voting Announcement

On the one hand, it’s encouraging to see Mark Zuckerberg preview a seemingly robust effort to help Americans vote in November – and that progress is a testament to the relentless advocacy from Facebook employees, civil rights activists, and many others who have made their voices difficult to ignore in recent weeks.

Read more
Statements
Jun 02, 2020
Accountable Tech Launches Facebook Ads Targeting Facebook Employees As More Stand Up To Zuckerberg

Accountable Tech launched a five-figure ad buy Tuesday aimed specifically at reaching Facebook employees on their own platform, as more and more boldly express their outrage over the path being charted by the company’s leadership.

Read more
Statements
May 29, 2020
As Twitter Steps Up, Facebook Refuses To Enforce Their Own Policies

It’s encouraging to see Twitter continue to uphold its standards and provide transparency about the actions they are taking, and their warning labels provide important context without amounting to censorship.

Read more
See more

Join the fight to rein in Big Tech.

Big Tech companies are some of the most powerful and profitable companies in history, presenting new threats to the safety of communities and the health of democracy. We’re taking them on through legislation, regulation and direct advocacy.