Google,
don't be evil.
Our mission was to protect liberty and democracy from gigantic corporate monopolies. When we criticized Google for its monopoly practices, our program’s funding was cut.
We’re continuing the fight — and we need you to join us.
Send a letter to Google's CEO:
Google’s attempts to shut down think tanks, journalists, and public interest advocates researching and writing about the dangers of concentrated private power must end. As an immense corporation, it’s wrong for Google to wield its vast financial and political power to try to silence the writers and researchers working to promote sensible antitrust enforcement. This kind of unethical behavior violates Google's founding corporate code of conduct, "Don't be evil."
Stop shutting down monopoly research now.
Is Google trying to censor journalists and researchers who fight dangerous monopolies?
Sadly, the answer is:
YES
The Open Markets team for the last eight years has led the way in shining a light on America’s monopoly problem, and in helping leaders in both parties learn how to fight dangerous concentrations of power. This past June, our team released a statement of support for a European antitrust ruling against Google.
Within days, Google flexed their financial power and got our entire team expelled from our think tank, the New America Foundation.
HERE IS OUR STORY.
When our research team at the New America Institute criticized Google's monopoly practices, the chairman of Google's parent company threatened to cut its funding for New America.
Unfortunately, New America instantly caved in to Google's power, shutting down our program and cutting all ties to our team.
1999
In 1999, the New America Foundation was founded to be a new progressive think tank, dedicated to promoting free debate on the most vital topics of the 21st Century, especially the promises and potential dangers of digital technologies.
2000
In 2000, the then-CEO of Google joined the New America board. That CEO and Google, Inc. both contribute over one million dollars annually to New America.
2002
In 2002, Barry Lynn joined New America to research and write about the threats posed to the economic, political, and national security of America by economic concentration.
2009
In 2009, the Open Markets Program launched within New America to promote liberty and democracy by combating extreme consolidation of economic and political power by corporate monopolies.
2010 — 2016
From 2010 to 2016, Open Markets carried out some of the world’s most forward looking and thorough research into the power and anticompetitive practices of tech giants such as Google and Amazon.
2016 — 2017
In 2016 and 2017, with a growing team and prominent fellows including Zephyr Teachout, interest in Open Markets work grew swiftly among political leaders in both parties, leading to important advances in the fight against concentration of monopoly power in private hands.
June 27, 2017
On June 27, 2017, Google was fined $2.7 billion by European antitrust officials for unfairly favoring their own services over those of smaller competitors. Open Markets publishes a statement praising the ruling and calling on U.S. officials to follow suit.
Within minutes, Open Market’s statement is taken down from the website.
And within 48 hours, Google representatives threaten to cut off all funding for New America, and New America leadership tells Open Markets to leave.
Google’s attempt to shut us down will fail.
The Open Markets team will continue to take the lead in the fight against monopoly on behalf of the American public. We will continue to take the lead exposing how the power and structure of Google, Amazon, and Facebook is a threat to our economy and our democracy.
Here’s what we’re going to do about it:
Google won’t get away with this. Together we will apply public pressure on the company to demand that it stop crushing independent research into corporate monopolies. You can join this effort by sending a letter to Google right now.
First, we will continue our work by founding a new organization called Citizens Against Monopoly to replace the one Google squashed. This time we'll have the full support of millions of activists like you.
Second, we will stop Google and other big monopolies from doing this again to other writers, researchers, activists, and members of the public.
That's where you come in:
Sign the letter to Google demanding they stop choking off free speech and free research into corporate monopolies.
