Dear Friend,
The U.S. now has five companies that worth more than $1 trillion each:
Amazon, Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft.(1)
A trillion dollars. That’s more than the GDP of all but 15 countries in
the world.(2)
As a result of allowing these megacorporations to balloon to where they
have no competition, Amazon now employs more than 1.3 million people and
spends millions of dollars busting unions.(3) Facebook is selling our
information to the highest bidder and purposely spreading misogyny and
hate for profit.(4) Google is keeping users from seeing smaller news
outlets by prioritizing who pays them the most.(5)
Congress is considering several antitrust bills to stop Big Tech
corporations from harming its users and stomping on competition. Courage
California has joined a coalition fighting to Break Up Big Tech, and this
week, we’re pushing as many calls as possible to Congress, demanding that
it rein in mega tech corporations.
[ [link removed] ]Click here to call and demand that your representative vote to Break Up
Big Tech!
Courage California members understand just how terrible Amazon can be to
its workers and the community as a whole.
Warehouse workers are injured at an exorbitant rate. Our video and audio
that Amazon records -- whether it be through our Alexa devices or our Ring
doorbells -- are used in advertising and sold to police departments
without our knowledge. Small businesses that use the Amazon platform are
sabotaged by the company itself.
And because Amazon has virtually no real competition, it has no incentive
to change those practices.
Facebook just rebranded itself as Meta to try to undo the public relations
hit it took upon the release of the “Facebook Papers” -- but that doesn’t
change the fact that the company knew its Instagram platform was causing
increased suicidal thoughts and body image issues in teenagers, and yet
did nothing. Or that the company played a significant role in causing the
January 6 insurrection.(6)
[ [link removed] ]That’s why Courage California members need to speak up now. Will you
call your representative and ask that the antitrust legislation package be
passed immediately?
California has a big role to play in the upcoming vote on the antitrust
legislation. Amazon has more than 153,000 workers in California alone,
more than any other state. Facebook is housed in California, and Silicon
Valley can fight back. Our California representatives need to hear that we
want them to champion antitrust legislation to stop these unfair
corporation practices. We are the workers and consumers who these
megacorporations are built on, and we need our elected leaders to stand up
for us and demand Congress pass the antitrust bills.
Here’s what the antitrust legislation would do:
* Provide for breaking up platforms like Amazon and Facebook,
whichcreate conflicts of interest and unfair advantages
* Prevent acquisitions and mergers that are actually hostile takeovers
of competitors
* Provide much needed funding for antitrust enforcement agencies
* Allow users to take their data with them if they leave a platform
Congress must step in to protect our livelihoods and our communities.
[ [link removed] ]Call your representative today and ask that the antitrust legislation
package be passed immediately!
Yours in the fight to stop corporate abuse,
Angela, along with Amber, Annie, Caitlin, Irene, Isidra, Jay, Lindsay,
LisaMarie, Raquel, and Scottie (the Courage team)
Footnotes:
1.
[link removed]
2. [link removed]
3.
[link removed]
4.
[link removed]
5.
[link removed]
6.
[link removed]
*****************************************************************
Courage California (formerly Courage Campaign) makes sure our democracy works for ALL of us by fighting corruption in California politics. We believe the solution lies in exposing and solving systemic problems through strategic organizing, enhancing coordination between progressive organizations, and mobilizing civic engagement from our communities, particularly voters of color, young voters, and self-identified progressives.
[link removed]
Like what we do? Chip in to help fund the fight for a more progressive nation.
[link removed]
You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]
