We are a growing, global movement fighting for a different digital future
We believe in the original promise of the internet as a force for good.
But a small group of tech corporations have cheated us of that dream, instead constructing a toxic, online world where they exploit our private data and attention to build vast advertising empires.
While they make obscene profits, we face the devastation of a system designed to keep people scrolling at all costs – rising hate and lies, stolen childhoods, polarisation, fragmentation of society and even violence.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, we’re already shifting the dial. Because together we are stronger than any corporation… and together we’re rising up to build a better digital world.
Our three priorities
Fix Our Feeds
Hate, disinformation, division... it's not a glitch in the system, it is the system. But tech giants can design their products to be safe. We just need to make them.
Stop Surveillance For Profit
Tech corporations spy on and profile us, then exploit our vulnerabilities to build vast fortunes. It's time to dismantle the spy machinery and reclaim our rights.
Break Open Big Tech
True tech progress serves people everywhere, not just a tiny group of CEOs. We're pushing to end Big Tech's stranglehold, so we can build a different future.
Our latest campaigns
YOUTH CAMPAIGN – applications closed.
Join us and be part of a European youth campaign to make social media safer, healthier and more supportive!
[Deadline extended to July 24th]
Campaign
FIX OUR FEEDS – EU Elections 2024
In a year of critical elections, we’re asking regulators to restore public trust in information and democracy by disabling toxic recommender systems
Latest news
What we have achieved so far
We won an EU-wide ban on the use of sensitive personal data for targeted advertising
Targeted advertising is at the dark heart of big tech’s twisted business model. It means corporations slicing and dicing the most intimate details of our lives to prey on our vulnerabilities, hijack our time and sell us things we don’t need or want.
So when the pundits said we had no hope of getting action on ads into the EU’s new tech law, a powerful movement of organisations, activists, and businesses refused to listen – instead working up watertight policy proposals and launching a massive people’s advocacy push for change.
The resulting ban on using sensitive data like race and religion to target people with ads is a vital first step towards the surveillance-free future we’re determined to build for everyone.
We got the EU to prohibit targeted advertising to kids
Keeping children safe from harm is society’s most basic job. But for years, a handful of tech CEOs have had free rein to spy and experiment on our kids – to sell them stuff, addict them to dangerous products and exploit their developing brains for profit.
Now a mega movement of parents, teachers, psychologists and concerned citizens is rising up to demand a safer, more enriching online world for children. And it’s winning results, like getting MEPs to vote for a ban on insidious spy-advertising to kids in Europe.
We’re just starting to see what the determination and moral clarity of this powerful coalition can achieve. Next stop? An internet that truly meets kids’ needs.
We teamed up with Nobel Laureates to write a 10-point plan to end disinformation
Sometimes people everywhere agree, and what’s needed is a powerful rallying call to connect, unite and galvanise action. So when Nobel prize-winners Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov said they wanted to issue a global call to rein in Big Tech and support journalism, our members leapt into action – teaming up to help develop, draft and promote a compelling manifesto for change.
Launched at the Nobel Peace Center in 2022, the actionable, 10-point plan has since been endorsed by over 294 Nobel laureates, organisations and individuals around the world. It’s a vision for a different future, and the best part is it’s totally doable.
Our members got the EU Commission to investigate Meta
Getting Europe to pass a strong tech law was a major victory for this movement. But the real work is making sure that law is enforced. That’s why the digital detectives at AI Forensics hit the ground running, with a deep-dive investigation revealing how Meta is letting pro-Russia propaganda ads flood the EU, in alleged breach of the Digital Services Act.
The European Commission has since launched formal proceedings against Meta, citing AI Forensics’ research. This is accountability in action!
Our members are pushing regulators to tackle gender-biased algorithms
Tech justice and women’s rights campaigners have united in a mighty coalition to tackle the insidious challenge of discriminatory algorithms, and made vital progress pressing authorities in the Netherlands and France to take up the cause.
PvBT member Global Witness, together with Bureau Clara Wichmann in the Netherlands and Fondation des Femmes in France, submitted four complaints to national regulators based on the suspicion that Meta’s algorithms to determine which users see certain job ads discriminate against women and breach equality and data protection laws.
The Dutch Institute of Human Rights has since held a hearing on the complaint while France’s Défenseur des Droits has written “investigation letters” to Meta demanding a response. This is the first time Meta has been questioned on the issue in the EU!
People vs Big Tech is a movement formed by more than 120 organisations
Sign the People's Declaration
Read the summary:
We, the people, demand technology that serves us, instead of putting us, our communities and our democracies at risk.
We call for an end to Big Tech’s destructive business model which has turned our own data into weapons against us.
We urge all those involved in scrutinising, passing, and enforcing legislation globally to stand on the side of the people you represent and take all necessary measures to rein in Big Tech’s abuses whilst defending people’s fundamental rights, critically - the right to free speech for all We urge all those involved in scrutinising, passing, and enforcing legislation globally to stand on the side of the people you represent and take all necessary measures to rein in Big Tech’s abuses whilst defending people’s fundamental rights, critically - the right to free speech for all.
Follow us on Mastodon
Brain rot is the word of 2024… Shivani Dave explains what it is, how to beat Big Tech’s addictive algorithms and avoid brain rot in 2025.
Sign up for The People - our bi-weekly newsletter where we tackle one Big Tech issue at a time: https://blog.peoplevsbig.tech/
📰 We are collaborating with journalists to bring you a bi-monthly newsletter, The People. Read more about what we have been up to in our 13th edition and subscribe so you never miss an edition:
https://blog.peoplevsbig.tech/
⚖️ We published Beyond Big Tech, a white paper and manifesto signed by over 70 organisations outlining our vision for a new, fairer digital economy.
https://peoplevsbig.tech/beyond-big-tech-a-manifesto-for-a-new-digital-economy/
🍫 With The London Story, #jesuislá, Panoptykon, Ekō, EDRi, the Citizens, and The Real Facebook Oversight Board, went to the European Commission, handing out tasty FEED FIX chocolate, along with receipts listing the "real" (and not so tasty) price of social media harms.
🤝 In the run-up to India’s divisive election, we worked with diaspora groups on a stunt outside Facebook’s London HQ.
📣 During the racist riots in the UK this summer, we responded by publishing an Open Letter to leaders in the UK and Ireland, guidelines for journalists covering Big Tech’s role in the violence.
👾 We helped seventeen 17-25-year-olds from across Europe to develop a youth-led campaign to reclaim our digital world. They’re now launching their own youth movement, Ctrl + Alt + Reclaim. Looks like the kids are going to be alright!
🔎 One of our members, AI Forensics, got the EU Commission to launch a case against Meta following their investigation into pro-Russia propaganda and disinformation ads on their platforms.
https://aiforensics.org/work/meta-political-ads
🥳 We got the EU to ban the use of sensitive personal data (like race or religion) for targeted ads and to stop showing targeted ads to kids. We’ve been sharing our expert knowledge with EU officials to ensure the rules we fought for are properly respected.
https://peoplevsbig.tech/letter-to-european-commissioner-breton-tackling-harmful-recommender-systems/
As 2024 is on the way out, here are some things that we did to make sure we were on Santa's Nice List:
Add your name to the CCDH's letter to YouTube’s CEO, Neal Mohan. Demand urgent action to fix the dangerous algorithm: https://act.counterhate.com/page/162476/petition/1
1 in 3 promoted harmful eating disorder content.
2 in 3 related to eating disorders or weight loss.
1 in 20 involved self-harm or suicide content.
Read the full report here:
https://counterhate.com/research/youtube-anorexia-algorithm/
The Center for Countering Digital Hate simulated the experience of a 13-year-old girl. After repeating this test 100 times, they found that the algorithm recommended dangerous content in the "Up Next" video recommendations.
Research shows that YouTube pushes dangerous videos to young girls including eating disorder and self-harm content.
https://counterhate.com/research/youtube-anorexia-algorithm/
Social media is designed to be addictive. EU President, von der Leyen, promised to end these addictive features - but she’s facing pressure from Big Tech to delay action! So join the call from Avaaz and people across Europe to demand protection - for ourselves and our children.
https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/eu_social_media_addiction_loc/
The surveillance-based business model, toxic recommender systems and addictive design features – the very business model of these tech giants – don't feature as sources of systemic risks.
Are you still on X? Have you moved over to Bluesky? Maybe you're riding both waves? Let us know and drop us a follow on any of the social media you're on @PeopleVsBigTech
The term refers "to low-quality, low-value content found on social media and the internet, as well as the subsequent negative impact that consuming this type of content is perceived to have on an individual or society."
Beat the algorithm and avoid brain rot by signing up to The People where we tackle one Big Tech issue at a time:
https://blog.peoplevsbig.tech/
The word of 2024: 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝘁! 🧠
While everyday usage seems new, the phrase can be dated back to 1854.
The first documented use of "𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝘁" was in Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” from 1854.
But what does it mean in today's context and who does it affect?
n 1854, 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝘁 was used to criticize society’s tendency to devalue complex ideas in favour of simple ones. In today's context, the phrase has taken more of an 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯.
👀🔎 Last week Big Tech companies published their first reports of how they assess the systemic risks of their platforms to users under the EU’s Digital Services Act. Here’s what we’ve found so far: 🧵
"Together we’re rising up to build
a better digital world.''