I’m going to fill you in on a little secret: Our work taking on Big Tech’s societal harms is not easy. There are days when the sheer weight of what we’re up against feels overwhelming.

Sometimes we succeed in holding these massive companies accountable, but it often feels like an uphill battle. And this week we got to experience both the joy of seeing our work come to fruition and the frustration of a massive setback, thanks to Big Tech’s lobbying efforts.

I’ll start with the good news: Just yesterday, the Maryland Kids Code was enacted, bringing crucial privacy and safety protections to 1.4 million Maryland children and teens. Alongside coalition partners, young leaders, and parents – concerned folks just like you – we fought for this legislation to pass and be signed into law earlier this year. Now, despite the same Big Tech companies fighting tooth and nail against it, young people in Maryland are protected from some of the worst social media harms.

Then, there’s the bad news: Governor Gavin Newsom just handed Big Tech a huge win.

Despite overwhelming bipartisan support in the California State Legislature, and from Californians and others watching from afar, he vetoed the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act (SB 1047) — a landmark bill that would have implemented common-sense safety guardrails around AI development. [1]

Tech giants like Meta, OpenAI, and Google lobbying heavily against it, and sadly, Governor Newsom caved to their pressure.

Big Tech companies are pulling out all the stops to maintain their status quo — one where they rake in profits with no regard for public safety. With his veto of SB 1047, Governor Newsom put the interests of billionaire venture capitalists and Big Tech executives ahead of the public interest.

But the fight doesn’t end here.

We know the power of people coming together can defeat Big Tech. We’ve seen it in Maryland and in California with the Age Appropriate Design Code, and beyond. But we’re also a small nonprofit going up against some of the biggest companies in the world. We need your help. Can you chip in today so we can continue the fight to hold Big Tech accountable?

CHIP IN

We’re up against massive lobbying budgets and unprecedented influence. Yet every time we take on Big Tech and win, it’s because of people like you — people who believe in a digital future that puts safety over profits. Help fuel our fight and make a donation today.

Together, we can continue to build momentum for digital safety reforms across the country.

Let’s keep fighting,

Nicole Gill
Co-founder and Executive Director
Accountable Tech

Sources
1. Axios: California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoes controversial bill on AI safety

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