Media Contact: media@colorofchange.org
For Immediate Release: December 9, 2020
Color Of Change: Unprecedented Antitrust Lawsuits Against Facebook from FTC, 48 State and Territorial AGs Mark Critical Step Toward Ending Big Tech’s Abuse of Power
NATIONWIDE – In response to the new lawsuits filed today by the Federal Trade Commission and dozens of state attorneys general alleging Facebook has engaged in illegal anticompetitive behavior, Color Of Change released the following statement from President Rashad Robinson:
“Today the federal government and 48 state and territorial attorneys general presented a unified voice in condemning Facebook’s abuse of power, sending a clear signal to Big Tech companies that unfettered growth and monopolistic behavior will no longer be left unchecked by regulatory powers. Due to a lack of adequate self-regulation and government oversight, Facebook has amassed an overwhelming share of the market and an outsize level of social and political power over the outcomes of our daily lives, all while refusing to adhere to civil rights legislation that has been the law of the land for generations.
Color Of Change has been at the forefront of demanding more government regulation of Big Tech’s continued abuses of power, outlining the urgent need for federal agencies to intervene as companies like Facebook continue to demonstrate a disturbing inability to limit their tangible harms on Black people. These tech giants have caused immeasurable damage to Black communities over the years, including failing to stem targeted misinformation and threats of violence against Black people and our allies, exploiting Black labor and talent, compromising our privacy and safety via overreaching surveillance and data mining, and excluding Black users from equitable employment, credit, and housing opportunities.
Moving forward, civil rights and racial justice must be at the center of how regulatory bodies and the incoming Biden-Harris administration hold tech companies accountable with increased FTC oversight. These lawsuits mark only the beginning of a long road to break up Big Tech’s concentration of corporate power, which will only continue to stifle economic and democratic progress for Black people unless measurable action is sustained.”
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About Color Of Change:
Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by over 7 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org.