The People’s Declaration

The People’s Declaration

We, the people of Europe, 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 demand a better internet, where citizens are able to access vital infrastructure and information, and thrive off connection and participation, without being reduced to products in an insidious surveillance economy.

We call for a world in which no small group of billionaires can tweak an algorithm and change the fate of billions without constraints or fear of consequence.

We urge all those involved in scrutinising, passing, and enforcing legislation in Europe 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 remind you that your job is to protect us, the people, and not the profits of massive tech companies operating with impunity within our borders.

Legislation and regulation must:

1. Turn off the manipulation machine

Big Tech’s toxic recommender systems and algorithms are amplifying hate speech and disinformation - weaponizing every societal fault line with relentless surveillance to maximise “engagement”. These systemic risks are created not just by external actors but are a feature of an unconscionable, unethical business model. It is time for these platforms to de-risk their design, detox their algorithms, give users real control over them and be held to account for failing to do so.

2. Stop surveillance for profit

We’ve been conned into giving “consent” for surveillance. We were never given a meaningful choice. The Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) must put an end to surveillance advertising that people never asked for. The use of digital services cannot be conditional on acceptance of surveillance and profiling. In addition, we demand transparency on all aspects of online ads and enforcement of our data rights to make them a reality.

3. Put people back in charge

Big Tech cannot continue to call the shots as judge and jury. The DSA must create stronger powers for regulators to hold Big Tech to account, including through robust audit powers that cannot simply be gamed by the companies. Europe must not allow a repeat of the failures of enforcement as seen with the GDPR.

Our organisations represent over 71,872,881 citizens across the EU. Today, we send a united message: we the people will no longer tolerate this relentless corporate assault on our lives and our liberty. We expect and demand that our elected representatives will stand with us.

We expect and demand that our elected representatives will stand with us.

Signed,

  1. aHang
  2. AI Forensics
  3. Albanian Media Council (Këshilli Shqiptar i Medias)
  4. Alliance4Europe
  5. All Out
  6. AI Forensics
  7. Amnesty Hungary
  8. Amnesty International
  9. Amnesty International Česká Republika
  10. Amnistia Internacional Portugal
  11. Associação ILGA Portugal
  12. Aufstehn.at
  13. Avaaz
  14. BeLonG To
  15. Betterplace Lab
  16. Bilitis Resource Center Foundation
  17. Campact
  18. Centar za mirovne studije \| Centre for Peace Studies
  19. Center for Countering Digital Hate
  20. Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO)
  21. Civil Liberties Union for Europe
  22. Coalition For Women In Journalism
  23. Compassion in Politics
  24. Corporate Europe Observatory
  25. Critical Future Tech
  26. Cyber Rights Organization
  27. D64 (Germany)
  28. Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation
  29. Dare to be Grey
  30. Data Rights
  31. De Goode Zaak
  32. Declic
  33. Defend Democracy
  34. Defesa dos Direitos Digitais
  35. Demos
  36. DigiQ
  37. Disruption Network Lab e.V.
  38. Društvo Ženska svetovalnica
  39. Ελληνικό Παρατηρητήριο των Συμφωνιών του Ελσίνκι - Greek Helsinki Monitor
  40. Eesti Inimõiguste Keskuse
  41. Eesti LGBT Ühing
  42. Ekō
  43. Eticas Foundation
  44. Eurochild
  45. European Network Against Racism
  46. European Public Service Union (EPSU)
  47. European Roma Rights Centre
  48. European Trade Union Confederation/Confédération Européenne des Syndicats
  49. European Youth Forum
  50. Fair Vote UK
  51. Faith Matters
  52. Federación de Consumidores y Usuarios CECU
  53. Forum for Equitable Development
  54. Foundation for Market Information Research (SOMI)
  55. Foxglove
  56. Freedom United
  57. Friends of the Earth Europe
  58. Gays and Lesbians Accepted in Society Foundation
  59. Glitch
  60. Global Action Plan
  61. Global Witness
  62. Gong
  63. Hate Aid
  64. Hexatrust
  65. Human Rights Monitoring Institute
  66. Inštitut - Marec
  67. Institute for Strategic Dialogue
  68. International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO)
  69. Irish Council for Civil Liberties
  70. KaskoSan Roma Charity
  71. Le Mouvement
  72. LGBT Deystvie
  73. Lie Detectors
  74. Lobby Control
  75. Mirovni Institute
  76. Missing Children Europe
  77. Motif
  78. Netwerk Democratie
  79. Never Again Association / NIGDY WIĘCEJ
  80. New Design Congress
  81. Open Rights Group
  82. Panoptykon Foundation
  83. Ranking Digital Rights
  84. Rasismin Ja Muukalaispelon Vastainen Yhdistys Ry
  85. Reporters Sans Frontières
  86. Repubblika
  87. She Persisted
  88. Skiftet.org
  89. Statewatch
  90. Stop Climate Chaos
  91. Stop Data Porn
  92. Stop Funding Heat
  93. Super Bloom (formerly Simply Secure)
  94. Superrr Lab
  95. Tell MAMA
  96. The Citizens
  97. The Good Lobby
  98. The London Story (Netherlands)
  99. The Peter Tatchell Foundation
  100. The Real Facebook Oversight Board
  101. The Signals Network
  102. Transparência Internacional Portugal
  103. Transparency International EU
  104. Transparency International Lithuania
  105. Transparency International Nederland
  106. Transparent Referendum Initiative
  107. Udesin
  108. Unblack the Box
  109. Unicorns in Tech
  110. UNI europa – The European Services Workers Union
  111. Uplift
  112. VoxPublic
  113. Waag
  114. WeMove Europe
  115. Women in AI (Austria)
  116. Women's Lobby of Slovenia
  117. World Uyghur Congress (Germany)
  118. 0D
  119. 5Rights Foundation
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