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Technology Reform

Working towards comprehensive, bipartisan solutions to address the mental, civic, and public health impacts of social media in America. Learn more about the related work of our Council for Responsible Social Media.

Areas of focus

For a decade, Issue One has been a leading voice in the effort to build a democracy that works for everyone. We have defended our elections against disinformation and disruption, advanced a modern and effective legislative branch, and built broad coalitions to strengthen democracy in the face of rising polarization. Throughout this work, we have experienced the downstream effects of social media on our democracy, our kids, and our national security. That’s why we formed the Council for Responsible Social Media — to push back and hold Big Tech accountable. In a national poll released by Issue One and the Council for Responsible Social Media (CRSM), 8 in 10 Americans hold social media responsible for bullying, childhood mental health struggles, and the spreading of false information and conspiracy theories. Big tech companies are operating with no serious accountability or oversight, and they are putting profits above the societal harms to our kids, for our communities, and to U.S. national security.

Social media plays an important role in our world. Our goal is to ensure responsible design and operations so that these technologies can nourish — rather than erode — our society, our wellbeing, and our democracy. Issue One is applying its experience and strengths to bring attention, energy, and bipartisan problem-solving to the challenges posed by social media.

We:

  • Advocate for key policies and legislation with the Biden Administration, on Capitol Hill, and in select state legislatures across the country.
  • Publicly pressure social media companies to make meaningful platform and internal governance changes.
  • Hold bipartisan public events that highlight testimony from parents, pediatricians, child psychologists, national security leaders, and tech experts who can shed light on the impact of decisions being made inside the platforms.
  • Serve as a resource for the media, providing bipartisan insights and information.
  • Develop and strategically distribute powerful content about the harms caused by social media.

Our impact:

  • Created the bipartisan Council for Responsible Social Media comprised of over 50 multi-sectoral leaders who are focused on finding solutions to the technological harms to our kids, communities, and national security. The Council brings together Republicans and Democrats, policymakers and members of the media, impacted communities and key stakeholders to elevate a bipartisan conversation and advance impactful, achievable solutions.
  • Worked closely with the Senate Judiciary Committee in preparation for a hearing relating to kids online safety. Three members of our Council for Responsible Social Media gave powerful testimony and answered questions from senators on both sides of the aisle. Each witness brought a different perspective to the same harsh reality — social media platforms aren’t designed with the wellbeing of children in mind.
  • Built bipartisan support and momentum for the Platform Accountability and Transparency Act, a leading proposal that would empower policymakers, researchers, and the American public to look under the hood of these powerful platforms at the design choices and decisions that have major implications for our mental, physical, and civic health.
  • Worked with key partners to secure support from leading stakeholders for an amicus brief in defense of the California Age Appropriate Design Code, a benchmark law that will ensure that social media platforms are designed and operated with the wellbeing of children and teens as the first priority.

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The Latest on Technology Reform

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Press releases

Council for Responsible Social Media Chairs Applaud FTC Action to Ban Meta from Monetizing Youth Data

This proposal, which comes after repeated violations by Meta, offers a path forward for holding other platforms accountable for violating the data privacy of minors....

This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed blanket prohibitions that would prevent Meta — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — from profiting from data it collects…

Press releases

Council for Responsible Social Media members stand with Seattle educators fighting to protect children from social media harms

A new lawsuit brought by Seattle’s public schools argues that popular social media platforms have created "a mental health crisis among America’s youth."...

In a new lawsuit, the Seattle Public School District is alleging that social media platforms intentionally designed products that are addictive and harmful to the mental health of Seattle children,…

Press releases

Council for Responsible Social Media Co-Chairs Applaud European Union’s Landmark Privacy Decision

With comprehensive privacy legislation in place, EU regulators were able to protect Europeans from unknowingly agreeing to accept personalized ads, a decision that could have major implications for the tech giant’s business model....

In a pair of landmark decisions this week, European Union (EU) officials determined that the American tech company, Meta, failed to properly solicit consent from Instagram and Facebook users before…

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