A new bipartisan campaign aims to reduce the influence of Big Tech companies in American politics by asking political candidates to reject donations from Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft executives, lobbyists, and PACs.
The campaign’s launch was first reported this week by the Washington Post. The campaign says its first priority is outreach to candidates running for House, Senate, and President to ask them to sign the pledge.
Tim “Apple” Cook Flashes V for Victory (Amy Sussman/Getty)
Jeff Bezos (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
“Companies like Facebook and Google have spent millions on lobbying and campaign donations so they can keep writing the rules for themselves and avoid any accountability,” said Emily Southard, Executive Director of The No Big Tech Money Project. “The pledge is a way for politicians to say ‘enough is enough’ and to signal to voters that they will put our democracy, our small businesses, and our families over Big Tech’s money.”
“In the last two years alone, Big Tech and their front groups spent over $260 million to block bipartisan tech reform – proving that they have too much power over the political process,” said Sacha Haworth, Executive Director of the left-leaning Tech Oversight Project. “We need to shine a light on Big Tech’s corrosive actions and demand that our elected officials – on both sides of the aisle – stand up to tech giants by passing legislation that improves people’s lives and increases competition.”
“The free market and the rule of law are fundamental to a functioning democracy, and both are under threat by Big Tech,” said Mike Davis, President of the conservative-aligned Internet Accountability Project. “Big Tech has crushed small businesses, spied on Americans, silenced critics, and bought off politicians. It’s time for leaders in both parties to say ‘no’ to Big Tech’s money and ‘yes’ to reining in these monopolistic lawbreakers.”
“We’ve seen bills ranging from robust privacy protections to an overhaul of our antitrust laws enjoy broad bipartisan support in Congress only for them to stall due to Big Tech’s powerful lobbying,” said Nicole Gill, Executive Director of the progressive group Accountable Tech. “If the U.S. is to step up and pass laws to keep the industry in check, a pledge to take no Big Tech money is an obvious first step. Big Tech has been allowed to run amok for too long, and it’s time for legislators to prove whether it’s their constituents or Big Tech’s best interests they are protecting.”
“Removing the influence of un-American Big Tech corporations from politics is a huge step in creating a brighter American future,” said Aiden Buzzetti, President of conservative populist-leaning Bull Moose Project. “These companies abuse their power and hinder innovation in pursuit of maximum profit. We will applaud every candidate who makes the decision to be free from the grasp of Big Tech.”
Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. He is the author of #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election. Follow him on Twitter @AllumBokhari.