[ [link removed] ]Graphic highlighting the 3 ways we are regulating Big Tech

We did this together. 




   
John,

As I reflect on our latest campaigns, there is one key thing that stands
out: we are writing the rules to regulate social media companies, and
protecting millions of people all over the world from the harms of Big
Tech.

From increasing Apple’s transparency about its supply chain, to writing
the EU regulation on AI – our community is having massive influence on
this important and mostly unregulated sector, and I couldn’t be more proud
of what we’re achieving together.

See below for the details, and check out this [ [link removed] ]instagram post with the
key highlights!

We’re writing the rules for Chatbot regulation

As news of ChatGPT was exploding around the world, we were busy digging
into the European Union’s proposal to regulate Artificial Intelligence. To
no one’s surprise, the leading ChatGPT company OpenAI was lobbying hard to
make sure chatbots were excluded from the regulation – opening the door
for chatbots to spread disinformation, hate speech, and other harmful
content – without any accountability from the tech companies.

Very soon, we could see “Generative AI” like ChatGPT replace classic
search engines – making our goal of ensuring Chatbots are included in the
AI regulation even more pertinent.

After doing a deep analysis of the European Parliament’s proposed policy,
we drafted amendments to include Generative AI. We held a series of
advocacy meetings to deliver our policy demands, and we brought along
hundreds of personal messages that our community wrote urging EU officials
to adopt Generative AI in its policy.

[2]Personal messages written by Ekō members, delivered directly to
lawmakers in BrusselsPersonal messages written by Ekō members, delivered
directly to lawmakers in Strasbourg

We then led an open letter signed by dozens of civil society groups across
Europe backing our amendments and giving our demands even more power.

All of this leadership that we were bringing on AI regulation landed us an
invitation to personally brief President Macron on the key measures
lawmakers must take to mitigate the threats of AI!

Then, after months of policy analysis and delivering our demands in
pin-pointed ways, the EU Parliament voted to adopt Ekō’s Generative AI
amendments in its final text!

[3]Ekō Advocacy Strategist Luana Lo Piccolo with the European Parliament’s
rapporteurs on the AI ActEkō Advocacy Strategist Luana Lo Piccolo with the
European Parliament’s rapporteurs on the AI Act

The European Parliament’s Rapporteur Brando Benifei, said: “The inclusion
of Generative AI in the European Parliament’s final text on AI regulation
is an important achievement that was helped by the work of the Ekō
community.

Also thanks to your commitment, the effort of some lawmakers like me to
convince the others that this was needed had been successful.”

The law still faces the EU’s Trialogue process between its three main
bodies, and we will keep pushing to make sure Chatbots are adopted into
the final AI law.

We made Apple address forced labour in its supply chain

Apple is deeply dependent on operations in China – with 80% of the iPhone
14 being made in “iPhone City” Zhengzhou. So when we found out that the
government of China’s genocidal forced labour program is forcing hundreds
of thousands of Uyghurs to work in horrific conditions, we found an
opportunity to have an impact through Apple.

After launching a global petition, we co-filed a shareholder resolution
demanding that Apple provide transparency about Uyghur forced labour in
its supply chain.

[4]Ekō shareholders co-filed a resolution demanding transparency on forced
labor, and we won!Ekō shareholders co-filed a resolution demanding
transparency on forced labour, and we won!

We worked closely with the Uyghur community to deliver the resolution at
the company’s AGM, and we talked to major Apple investors – urging them to
vote in favour. The resolution was covered by leading financial media and
we published videos targeting the company – including one [ [link removed] ]spoof video
of CEO Tim Cook, and another [ [link removed] ]street-interviews video conducted by a
Uyghur activist.

[7]Snapshot from an Ekō video where Uyghur activist Kabir Qurban
interviews people about their love for Apple then informs them about
Uyghur forced labor in Apple’s supply chainSnapshot from an [ [link removed] ]Ekō video
where Uyghur activist Kabir Qurban interviews people about their love for
Apple then informs them about Uyghur forced labour in Apple’s supply chain

All this pressure resulted in a third of Apple investors voting in favour
of our resolution, and us entering direct talks with Apple. After 3 years
of public pressure, direct advocacy, and persistence, the company finally
agreed to provide greater transparency about its supply chain and the
checks it has in place to eliminate forced labour.

This alone won’t save the Uyghur community, but for Apple to agree to take
serious measures to eliminate forced labour in its supply chain will
certainly help make the oppression of Uyghurs and other marginalized
communities less tenable.

We’re writing the rules for tech in Brazil
Last year when Brazil experienced its own Stop the Steal movement during
the Presidential elections, our researchers sprung into action and
published a series of reports that exposed how tech platforms fueled the
conspiracy theories and fanned the flames for a violent insurrection.

Our reports were covered by major media, and created a strong basis for
direct advocacy with newly elected President Lula’s cabinet. His own
cabinet advisor used one of our reports in his opening remarks to the
Supreme Court in their case to regulate Big Tech.

We then did a policy analysis of the draft bill to regulate the tech
industry, and proposed several amendments which have made it into the
latest version of the bill. Thanks to our campaigning, our investigations
are also being used by the Ministry of Justice in its action against the
tech industry. We’ve now become one of the main civil society groups that
the Lula government is counting on for expert analysis on Big Tech
regulation.

And Ekō members have been at the center of this work from the beginning –
from putting pressure on the tech companies ahead of the election,
tweeting directly at members of Parliament, joining Twitter spaces to
debate the topic with top officials gathering tens of thousands of
listeners, and much much more!

All of this progress in Brazil earned us major media attention – with
Campaign Director Flora Rebello Arduini appearing on CNN and Brazil’s most
watched news channel TV Globo.

[9]Campaign Director Flora Rebello Arduini speaking about Brazil’s tech
regulation on Brazil’s most watched news channel Jornal Nacional, TV
Globo.Campaign Director Flora Rebello Arduini speaking about Brazil’s tech
regulation on Brazil’s most watched news channel Jornal Nacional, TV
Globo.

This media attention came ahead of the Nobel Summit, where Flora
represented our community on a panel about disinformation alongside other
tech experts. The panel was viewed by Nobel laureates and academics from
all over the world.

[10]Flora participating in a panel on disinformation at the Nobel Summit
in Washington, DC.Flora participating in a panel on disinformation at the
Nobel Summit in Washington, DC.

Regulating the tech industry is by far one of the greatest and most
important challenges we face today. Social media companies are actively
spreading harmful disinformation that threatens everything from tackling
climate change, to protecting our democracies and public health. Because
of this, our fight to rein in tech companies is becoming more urgent than
ever. Let’s keep it up, and help protect both our planet and future
generations to come.



Thanks for everything that you do,
Yohanna and the team at Ekō


 

 

Ekō is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

Please help keep Ekō strong by chipping in $3. [link removed]