John,

The incoming Biden/Harris administration is starting to fill cabinet positions, and rumors are flying about who is being considered for key roles that affect Internet freedom, privacy, and basic rights.

With the news that Google’s former CEO, Eric Schmidt, is being discussed for positions, and that former Facebook leaders are acting as advisors on the transition team, we need to act fast to make sure corporate lobbyists and execs don’t get appointed to positions of power within the administration.^1,2

Can you sign this petition to tell the Biden Administration to appoint people who will work in the public interest, and to keep corporate lobbyists and executives out?

TAKE ACTION

Biden has a lot of corporate ties that could influence who he picks to lead key departments.³ And these people have a lot of control over the issues you care about:

The next chair of the Federal Communications Commission will be able to reinstate net neutrality and ensure affordable Internet access broadly. They’ll also play a big role in what happens to Section 230 and whether or not free speech online is protected.
The Federal Trade Commission has oversight on platform accountability and antitrust issues and will play an important role in how to address issues with Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Apple in the coming years.

Leaders at the Department of Education and Housing and Urban Development could help stop facial recognition from being used in schools and federal housing.

We have a strategy to win back net neutrality, to stop the spread of facial recognition technology, and to protect free speech online, but it will be exponentially harder if we have to fight insiders from Comcast, Amazon, and Facebook.

We need appointees who will protect a free and open Internet and protect our privacy from ever-expanding corporate and government surveillance practices.

Take a minute to sign this petition and tell the Biden Administration to nominate people who will fight for us, not people who will push for more corporate power.

Together,

Caitlin at Fight for the Future

Footnotes:

1. The Observer: https://observer.com/2020/11/eric-schmidt-tech-execs-biden-white-house-outrage/

2. Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/16/the-biden-teams-tug-of-war-over-facebook-436672

3. Vox: https://www.vox.com/21561878/joe-biden-transition-silicon-valley-personnel-eric-schmidt

Fight for the Future works to protect your rights in the digital age.