CfA's July 2, 2021 Newsletter

Our Recent Work:

• TTP Investigation: Big Tech Uses Small Businesses as a PR Shield in the Fight Against New Regulations: On Thursday, CfA's Tech Transparency Project (TTP) released a report revealing how Google, Facebook, and other Big Tech companies are quietly using a hand-picked group of small businesses to amplify their anti-regulatory messages. A key example of this tactic is the Connected Commerce Council, a non-profit group in Washington D.C. that bills itself as as a voice for small businesses but in reality serves as a front for Big Tech. (Press Release, Report)
  • "It’s important to recognize that when you see an ad from Facebook or Google featuring a small business owner, advocating for the status quo when it comes to how these companies use our data, it’s likely not someone plucked at random. These tech giants have succeeded in finding the right ‘mom and pop’ faces that will advocate for them time and time again. If legislators fall for this ploy, they will have failed to represent the actual desire of everyday Americans: to have a safer and fairer internet for themselves and their families," said CfA Executive Director Michelle Kuppersmith. 
  • The report was covered in an article by Forbes.

What We're Reading:

• House passes bill to strengthen authority of federal watchdogs: "The House passed legislation on Wednesday that would bolster the authority and independence of inspectors general responsible for conducting oversight of federal agencies. The bill comes a year after former President Trump dismissed or replaced the inspectors general of five agencies over the course of about six weeks, prompting concerns from Democrats that the decisions were rooted in retaliation for various oversight efforts of his administration." (The Hill, June 29)

• Don’t back down from Facebook fight, lawmakers tell FTC: "A bipartisan group of lawmakers have asked that the FTC continue its antitrust lawsuit against Facebook after setbacks in court. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Lee (R-UT), together with House representatives David Cicilline (D-RI) and Ken Buck (R-CO), signed a letter addressed to FTC Chair Lina Khan detailing why the regulatory action is needed." (The Verge, July 2)

• Supreme Court upholds Arizona voting restrictions: "The Supreme Court on Thursday gave states new latitude to impose restrictions on voting, using a ruling in a case from Arizona to signal that challenges to laws being passed by Republican legislatures that make it harder for minority groups to vote would face a hostile reception from a majority of the justices. The vote was 6 to 3, with the court’s three liberal members in dissent." (The New York Times, July 1)

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1. Follow CfA on Twitter and Facebook.
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