ADVISORY: Join a Thursday Briefing Following the Release of Free Press Action Report 'Insatiable: The Tech Industry’s Quest for All Our Data'

WASHINGTON — On Thursday, please join Sen. Ed Markey and digital civil-rights advocates for an important discussion of the landscape of data collection across emerging and established digital platforms. In particular, the briefing will look at how the growth of new social-media platforms is highlighting the need for more robust consumer protections to safeguard data privacy in the United States.

This discussion will follow the launch of the Free Press Action research report, Insatiable: The Tech Industry’s Quest for All Our Data, which examines the data-collection policies of the three social-media platforms vying to replace a faltering Twitter — Bluesky, Mastodon and Meta’s Threads.

Speakers will include Sen. Markey alongside the report’s author, Jenna Ruddock of Free Press Action; Emile Ayoub of the Brennan Center for Justice; and Matt Schwartz of Consumer Reports. Nora Benavidez of Free Press Action will moderate the discussion and open the floor to questions.

Insatiable finds that tech companies use so-called privacy policies to increase their revenues and exploit our data. It also finds that the persistent, under-regulated and profit-driven harvesting of our personal data undermines the potential for greater user control on emerging platforms. Participants will hear about prospective legislative and regulatory solutions to rein in abusive data practices.

WHAT: When Privacy Is Not the Policy: What's Next for Data Privacy and Consumer Rights
WHEN: Thurs., Nov. 2, starting at 1 p.m. EST
WHERE: Online via a Zoom webinar (see RSVP information below)
WHO: Sen. Ed Markey (D–Massachusetts), Free Press Action's Jenna Ruddock and Nora Benavidez, the Brennan Center for Justice’s Emile Ayoub and Consumer Reports’ Matt Schwartz

To RSVP for the briefing, follow this link and fill out the form. You will be provided with information to join the discussion.