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Tell Biden: Keep Big Tech out of the administration!

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    Tell Biden: Keep Big Tech out of the administration!

    Petition to the Biden transition team:
    We urge you to choose officials with a strong track record in upholding antitrust law and the public interest against corporate power, particularly to lead the Department of Justice's antitrust work. We urge you to stop the revolving door and not appoint anyone who has defended the Big Tech companies or other big corporations in court, especially anyone who has helped them merge with other companies and grow their monopoly power.

    "The biggest antitrust lawsuit in a generation." That's how the Department of Justice's effort to break up Google has been described, part of the growing effort to rein in the unaccountable power of the Big Tech companies over our democracy and our economy.1

    Unfortunately, Joe Biden may appoint a lawyer who worked for Google and Amazon to oversee the DOJ's Antitrust division, which leads their legal fight against Google and Big Tech.2 We can't let the fox guard the hen house.

    Joe Biden needs to appoint leaders who will support and expand the federal government's efforts to break up the Big Tech companies. Can you help send that message to Biden and his transition team now?

    Sign the petition: Keep Big Tech out of the Biden administration!

    News reports suggest Renata Hesse is the most likely pick to lead the DOJ Antitrust division, despite having worked for Google and Amazon. Hesse has worked alongside Ted Cruz to defend Google, and helped Amazon buy out Whole Foods.3

    Another possible pick, Juan Arteaga, defended AT&T's merger with Time Warner against a DOJ lawsuit and has defended major Wall Street banks in court. Both Hesse and Arteaga would bring major conflicts of interest to this job -- and cannot be relied on to take a strong stand against corporate power.4

    Biden is considering others who have a strong record upholding the public interest against big corporations and who are willing to use the power of the federal government to take on the Big Tech monopolies.

    Right now the federal government has filed lawsuits seeking to break up Google and Facebook, and has been investigating Amazon. The Biden Administration could be the moment when we take back the internet, our economy, and our democracy from these corporate giants. 

    But we need someone at DOJ who we can trust to hold the tech giants accountable -- and that means someone who hasn't made a career out of defending their monopoly power. Biden has the power to do that right now. Let him know that we're paying attention!

    Add your name: Tell Biden to appoint people who will break up Big Tech!

    Sources:
    1. The Guardian, "Google is facing the biggest antitrust case in a generation. What could happen?," October 21, 2020.
    2. The Intercept, "Big Tech Critics Alarmed at Direction of Biden Antitrust Personnel," January 18, 2021.
    3. Ibid.
    4. The Revolving Door Project, "Biden's Antitrust Minefield," January 16, 2021.

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