The Tech Policy Press Podcast Through to Thriving: Advocating for Change with Nora Benavidez
Aug 3, 2025
Nora Benavidez, Senior Counsel and Director of Digital Justice and Civil Rights at Free Press, dives into the vital topic of digital advocacy. She discusses the evolution of platform accountability, shedding light on creative strategies for campaign building. Nora also tackles the complexities of free speech versus safety. The conversation ventures into the rising influence of tech oligarchs and the need for grassroots engagement while exploring the implications of AI and societal trust. It's a passionate call for meaningful change in our digital landscape.
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Traditional Advocacy Playbook
- The traditional advocacy playbook involves naming and shaming, pressuring executives, and activating the public.
- This approach builds awareness and demands accountability for tech platform behaviors.
Profit Over People Drives Rollbacks
- Platform accountability advocacy faces uphill battles due to billionaire profit motives overriding moral considerations.
- Recent years show increased rollback of protections as executives prioritize profit over people.
Advocacy Tactics Can Backfire
- An advocacy email campaign unintentionally overwhelmed a tech executive's email, feeling like a DDoS attack.
- This incident caused the executive to pull back, showing how advocacy tactics can affect internal willingness to engage.