UltraViolet Slams Big Tech Companies for Leveraging Threats on Abortion Bans to Stop Anti-trust Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, May 27, 2022
CONTACT: Anna Zuccaro | anna@unbendablemedia.com
UltraViolet Slams Big Tech Companies for Leveraging Threats on Abortion Bans to Stop Anti-trust Bill
Gender equity and reproductive rights group urges Senate to “Check Big Tech” by passing American Innovation & Choice Online Act
WASHINGTON, DC — According to reports, the US Senate is nearing a vote on The American Innovation and Choice Online Act, S. 2992 (117). The bill would break up Big Tech companies, such as Google, Apple, Amazon and Meta, to protect consumers.
The bipartisan legislation marks one of Congress’s most serious attempts to tighten oversight of the tech industry. TechNet, a shell organization representing Big Tech companies, has spoken on record leveraging the threat to abortion rights to stop advancement of the bill.
Companies that TechNet represents, including Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon, harvest and sell users’ location and search history to radical right-wing groups that target and harass doctors and people seeking abortion services.
In response, Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of the national gender equity and reproductive rights group UltraViolet, issued the following statement:
“Shell organizations like TechNet help have helped Big Tech companies enable right-wing extremists, including anti-abortion radicals, on their platforms for years.
“Now, they are trying to leverage the newscycle and the imminent threat to abortion rights to stall action on passage of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act. This bill would reign in unchecked power in Big Tech. We cannot allow Big Tech companies to abuse their power without consequence. We urge the Senate to act by voting on this bill as soon as possible.”
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