Hi Christopher,
People in the medieval world did not have freedom. Lords ruled every
acre, and serfs toiled under their social and economic chains. They taxed
the daily necessities of their serfs; the right to farm, to marry, or to run a bakery
or bread mill.
Today, our “lands” Big Tech lords have turned our online lives into
modern digital serfdoms. Their “lands” are digital—platforms, cloud
services, and apps. And we’re bound by algorithms, fees, and walled
gardens, while the lords of Silicon Valley and Washington D.C. reap
the spoils. Our new digital overlords tax the necessities of our digital
life; the right to use software without a fat monthly fee, to own, use
and repair physical devices we’ve purchased as we choose to, or to
be heard by anyone on the monopolistic platforms they control.
Big Tech’s power is deeply entrenched, and breaking free from feudal
systems has never been quick or easy. But we refuse to accept a return
to digital chains. That’s why we’re raising the banners, challenging the
lords, and fighting for your freedom in these techno-feudal times.
Will you support this rebellion to take down the new digital lords?
Our own government sometimes fights with a wooden sword. Policies
meant to protect us barely scratch the surface, and rather than having
courage to get our ‘elbows up’, Canada is focused on trade negotiations
that show no signs of success.1 Talk of “digital sovereignty” is just an
empty promise if we don’t stand up to these digital overlords!
2 That’s why OpenMedia is choosing to rise up and fight to reclaim real digital
autonomy for people in Canada.3
Our team is small but we’re pushing back on multiple fronts:
- Keeping crypto corruption OUT of Canadian politics;4
- Demanding privacy law reform that modernizes decades-old
- rules meant to protect us from exploitation by foreign Big Tech;5
- Closing dangerous loopholes that break encryption in Bill C-8;6
- Fighting to stop Bill C-2, the so-called “Strong Border Bill,” which
- fundamentally compromises privacy;7
- Fighting to diversify Canada’s media and information ecosystem
- as public narratives become increasingly shaped by foreign-owned
- outlets and algorithms;8 and
- Calling for rights-respecting online harms laws, as the government
- clumsily attempts to address the worst crimes online without sacrificing
- free expression or privacy.9
These battles are not done deals. Each one requires hard campaigning,
deep policy work, and collaboration with thousands of people and organizations
who can help us move the needle. It’s a long campaign to break free from
techno-feudalism – but it is one worth fighting. And every one of these fights
takes resources. If we’re going to shatter the chains and make our voices count, we need you with us!
Thank you for all you do.
Jenna at OpenMedia
P.S. Breaking free from digital serfdom takes courage, strategy, and allies. Every dollar you give helps Canadians break the chains of digital serfdom and reclaim control over our online lives. Freedom won’t defend itself, if you don’t rise up today, who will?
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