[doliveira]

Yeah, financial and social pressure is basically the only weapons we have against corporations when regulations don't exist. And honestly, financial pressure doesn't work at this scale or in this case.

[jjoonathan]

Yes, but this will be an uphill battle. Every campaign must be financed, so every politician must effectively be vetted by monied interests. The same monied interests that we see here on a strategic offensive against the rest of us. Regulators will tend to be sympathetic to them, not us, until things get really bad.

Is EFF still the place to send money?

[Brian_K_White]

I think so. I don't know of any better.

[hartator]

> when regulations don't exist

It’s very likely governments will make this mandatory if they have the chance to regulate over this.

[amalcon]

If you live in a representative democracy, and Google has a presence there, contact the offices of those representatives. These things don't always seem like they matter, but sometimes they do. Big tech generally (and Google specifically) is a pretty popular target right now -- seemingly worldwide and across most ideological divisions.

[docmars]

This is true, but I think the main issue is whether people are quick enough to call for congressional hearings and decisive actions / lawmaking that would have any impact before it's too late. It's a race to the finish, and big tech companies always have the advantage. Of course, that doesn't mean regulation couldn't call for a reversal on what's been implemented.

The other side to this issue is despite the scrutiny towards big tech, they can still lobby and make any regulatory actions seem effective, when in practice, they've already gotten their fingers into influencing policy in such a way that doesn't ultimately address the consumers' concerns.

[api]

Financial pressure won't work because you are not Google's customer. Google's customers are its advertisers.

[JohnFen]

And you are the customers of those companies advertising. That's leverage, too.

[alexb_]

Financial and social pressure are the only ways you convince anybody to do anything that isn't biological.

[xeonmc]

Speaking of regulations, I think an angle that can help spread awareness to the general public is casting this as essentially being the equivalent of SOPA/PIPA but being pushed by Big Tech rather than Big Gov.

[mwint]

Regulation is just social pressure enforced by guns.