The Fourth of July is about celebrating the freedom of the United States. This year, it’s marred by PRISM scandal that showed how the US government is collecting personal communications data on the citizens.
High powered sites like WordPress, Reddit, and Mozilla are amongst the usual suspects of privacy-conscientious tech companies supporting the Independence Day protest being organized by non-profit organization Fight for the Future. Who’s not on the list of supporters? Facebook and Google.
The two companies who have the most information about us are the ones that don’t seem to be outraged by the NSA’s actions. They’re the ones that get more traffic and time spent on their sites and properties than any others. They’re the ones who should be leading the charge.
Instead, they’re silent.
As you watch the video below and contemplate the implications, start thinking about how much Google and Facebook rely on our interaction. They’re gargantuan companies and are both embedded into the daily lives of millions of Americans so it’s easy to believe that they cannot be swayed. It’s easy to believe that they won’t listen to the voices of the people. That’s not the point. Whether they will listen or not, it’s the responsibility of American’s to spread the word and let as many people as possible know that Google and Facebook, by their submission to the US government as well as their unwillingness to support the protests, are lockstep with the enemy in the war over our rights.
Here’s the video. Spread it.