Statement on President Biden’s Strategy to Address Big Tech’s Role in Our National Mental Health Crisis

For Immediate Release
March 1, 2022
Contact: press@accountabletech.org

Today, Nicole Gill, Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director, issued the following statement in support of a key pillar of President Biden’s unity agenda addressing America’s mental health crisis and new reforms to protect young Americans from Big Tech manipulation:

“The stresses and strains of growing up in a society saturated by social media platforms have led to alarming declines in young Americans’ mental health and emotional well-being. These empirical trends have accelerated as Big Tech has captured an increasing share of our economy, public discourse, and attention. Young Americans are especially vulnerable to the insidious and unchecked manipulation of social media algorithms that exploit their intimate personal information and magnify normal adolescent insecurities.

“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, from the resilience of our children to the health of our democracy. This pillar of President Biden’s unity agenda builds on the bipartisan, transatlantic momentum to rein in Big Tech and safeguard minors from their manipulative products.”

“We are heartened to have the president’s support for critical reforms to protect young people online, like banning surveillance advertising – which was until recently considered a radical proposal – stopping algorithmic discrimination, and requiring safety and privacy by design. We urge the Biden administration to continue to leverage the bully pulpit at home and abroad to address the existential threats Big Tech platforms pose to democracy and the foundation of common truths upon which it rests.”

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