User Lobbying

Bolt, purveyors of e-scooters, bikes, and taxi rides, went on the offensive and emailed its users this beautiful website railing against how we prioritize cars over people in our communities.

Google has heard that you, small business owner, are concerned about potential rules and regulations that could impact Google:

"Some of you have also expressed concerns about proposed regulations in Congress" ...to do things like enforce anti-monopoly rules and protect data privacy.

Just imagine how your productivity would be impacted if Google couldn't provide every service you use to work, or if Google didn't reap one third of global advertising dollars. I'm a Google customer in a variety of departments, and find this kind of user lobbying disappointing.

After last week’s coverage of Epic vs. Apple, here’s another example of a company asking its users to engage in a campaign against a competing company: Mozilla’s #YouTubeRegrets campaign and browser extension. 

YouTube's related videos algorithm is responsible for over 70% of viewing time, and sometimes recommends harmful videos. I recently learned that even people at YouTube aren’t sure which videos the recommendation engine sends users to. AI!

Of Apple’s many anti-competitive practices, enforcing a de facto 30% tax on competing products is one of the most egregious. Spotify has responded with a microsite campaign. There’s no call to action for users, though, it’s targeted instead at media and policymakers. Thanks Powen for the tip.

Tesla has joined the ranks of companies enlisting their customers to lobby on their behalf. In this case, the company is asking their fans / customers to lobby their local representatives to allow the company to bypass the car dealership model of auto sales. It’s worth noting that Tesla’s campaign is in context of the dealership lobby funding their own attacks on the company.

Hat tip to Electrek for finding this.

Email text:

Hi,

At Tesla, we’re accelerating the future of sustainable energy with groundbreaking electric cars and energy products.

As you may know, New Mexico is currently one of a handful of states that prohibit manufacturers from selling directly to consumers, and also prohibits Tesla from opening any service locations in the state.

In an effort to provide the full Tesla experience to New Mexico customers like you, we are supporting SB255 to allow car manufacturers like Tesla to sell and service directly to consumers in New Mexico.

Please consider contacting your legislator here to ask them to support SB255 and your freedom to choose how to purchase your vehicle.

The passage of this bill will help Tesla continue to accelerate the future of sustainable energy.

Thank you for your support.

In a move straight out of the ridesharing playbook, Lime is rallying its users to lobby for its continued operations in Santa Monica after the City ran a pilot and decided to grant permits to two of their competitors, instead. Also like Uber and Lyft, Lime will offer monetary discounts to users who use the service to travel to the protest.

eBay’s Government Affairs outreach team is once again reaching out to eBay sellers to mobilize them and prevent the State of New York from applying a sales tax to online marketplaces. It’s sadly ironic to see “eBay Main Street” fighting against cities and towns collecting revenues to maintain their Main Streets.

The email sends users to an action page, where they’re asked to contact their state officials by eBay’s contact form or Twitter. Full email text below:

Help Protect New York Taxpayers!

Dear Main Street Member,

With the help of Main Street Members like you in 2017, we successfully defeated New York State’s attempt to impose a new sales tax burden on your favorite Internet marketplaces. Unfortunately, your state policy makers are at it again and have introduced a proposal that requires Internet marketplaces to charge sales tax on purchases that were previously sales tax free. Under this proposal, items sold to New Yorkers by small, out-of-state companies, artisans, and even average consumers over the Internet will be taxed. Small businesses in New York that use marketplaces will also be impacted as the cost to do business increases. As New Yorkers, it’s time to take a stand against burdensome tax policies that increase costs for consumers and businesses in your state.

This unpopular new Internet marketplace sales tax is included in the Governor’s proposed budget so action is needed right now. Click the button below to make your voice heard – participation takes less than a minute of your time. With your help, we hope to send a strong message to Albany to REJECT this tax increase.

Thank you for joining the effort!