John,
Today is the anniversary of the darkest day for democracy in modern US history. In the aftermath of the Capitol attack, some lawmakers called for expansion of government surveillance, even though the attacks were openly organized and promoted on social media. Others proposed curtailing online free speech by changing Section 230. These approaches are the exact opposite of what we need to be doing.1 Will you share our Medium article and Twitter thread about data privacy and protecting democracy?
To stop another January 6 and protect future elections, we must address disinformation - not by censoring online free speech, but by ending social media’s surveillance capitalist business model. Disinformation is so powerful because platforms are able to target people who are most susceptible to it.2 Facebook’s data-fueled algorithmic manipulation3 is directly responsible for the virality of the election conspiracy theories that led to January 6. If we want to save our democracy, we need data privacy now.4 We’ve got 10 months until the midterm elections, and we’re going up against some of the biggest and most powerful companies in the world. If you’re able, please consider making a donation.
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Earlier this week, ❤️Fight and other digital rights organizations delivered a petition signed by over 24,000 people (including many people receiving this email today) calling on Congress to pass a data privacy law in time to protect the midterm elections.5 In Senator Ron Wyden’s words: “Congress has the opportunity to act now by passing a comprehensive privacy law that can cut off the flow of data to Facebook’s outrage machine by setting strong new rules for how companies can collect, share and use Americans’ personal information.”
Facebook’s business model has evolved into social engineering via psychological warfare, and it’s crucial that lawmakers address this existential threat. In order to protect democracy and the integrity of the future elections, lawmakers must disarm Facebook’s data weapon by regulating surveillance, not speech.
For the future of democracy,
Erica & the Team at ❤️Fight
1.
Fast Company:https://www.fastcompany.com/90592060/capitol-attack-fascism-surveillance-censorshi
2.
Medium: https://fightfortheftr.medium.com/the-best-way-to-fight-election-disinformation-is-to-fight-surveillance-capitalism-d5d835683a9e
3. Wired: https://www.wired.com/story/political-ads-arent-the-problem-facebooks-algorithms-are/
4. Medium: https://fightfortheftr.medium.com/to-protect-democracy-lawmakers-must-pass-a-federal-data-privacy-law-4f0ed9914305
5. Common Dreams: https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2022/01/04/24000-call-congress-stop-facebook-fueling-far-right-extremism-passing-federal
Fight for the Future works to protect your rights in the digital age.
