About

What is SumOfUs?

GoogleQuitTheChamber.org is a project of SumOfUs.org. SumOfUs is a brand-new global movement of consumers, investors and workers using our collective economic power for good. Together, we will work to hold the world's corporations accountable to the public interest and move our global economic system towards social equity, democratic principles, and long-term sustainability. By signing our petition to Google, you'll join SumOfUs's email list. We'll send you opportunities to fight corporate power and build a better, safer, more democratic world about once a week.

See below for the answers to some frequently asked questions about this campaign.

What is so bad about the Chamber?

The Chamber's whole job is to funnel money from big corporations into effective political lobbying. In 2009, the Chamber spent $145 million on lobbying alone – more than 5 times as much as the second biggest spender from all corporations and interest groups, Exxon-Mobil. Although it claims to be non-partisan, 93% of its election spending goes to support Republicans. And the Chamber was one of the most powerful voices in favor of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision allowing money in politics.

How do we know that Google is thinking about leaving the Chamber?

Politico reported recently, "Google is considering ditching the U.S. Chamber of Commerce out of frustration with its support for legislation" that Google executives say would "threaten innovation and encourage censorship of protected speech on the Web." The Washington Post confirmed that "Google is "considering options" that could include canceling its membership with the Chamber." This is a huge opportunity, but we probably have only a few weeks to make the case to Google.

Why would Google leave the Chamber?

Google's immediate motivation for considering quitting is that the Chamber is trying to ram an internet censorship bill through Congress. The bill would empower big corporations to shut down individual web users' sites on mere suspicion of copyright violation, without even a hearing. If it becomes law, the bill could end sites like Youtube as we know them. Since Google's whole business model depends on a free and open internet, it's easy to see why they're thinking about leaving.

But Google also has many other reasons to leave the Chamber -- see the "Where Google Stands" page for an overview of issues where Google's interests are opposed to the Chamber's.

Has this ever happened before?

There's plenty of precedent for companies quitting the Chamber for ideological reasons. For instance, in 2009, Apple quit the Chamber and Nike quit the board of the Chamber, both in order to express public disgust over the Chamber's position on climate. And Yahoo just quit over the same internet censorship bill that Google is mad at the Chamber about.

What good will it do for Google to quit the Chamber?

The Chamber's power rests in part on its credibility as a voice for American business. As one of the biggest companies in the world and an icon of the new economy, Google quitting would undermine that credibility. Apple and Nike quitting made big headlines and undermined the Chamber's false narrative that climate legislation would be bad for business. And Politico calls the possibility of Google quitting the Chamber "a potentially serious blow to one of Washington's most powerful lobbies."

Why does Google care what you think?

Google's main business model is to make money from advertising to each of us when we use gmail, Google search, and any number of other Google products. In the fast-moving tech world, it's critical for their long-term business plans for their users to view them positively. What's more, Google employees and executives want to feel proud to work at Google. Google's unofficial motto is "Don't Be Evil" – and by staying in the Chamber, they're legitimizing an institution that's hurting their users all around the world every day. And finally, there are already key people at Google who are arguing that Google should quit the Chamber – your support will bolster their position internally.

GoogleQuitTheChamber.org was created in partnership with 350.org.