A representative for social media giant Facebook said Wednesday that the company would likely end its relationship with the American Legislative Exchange Council next year.
The expected move follows Google and Microsoft, two other name-brand technology companies that have dropped their ALEC ties in the last month. The conservative advocacy group’s position on climate change led to those departures, with Google chairman Eric Schmidt saying that ALEC was “literally lying” about the issue.
A Facebook representative didn’t specify an issue in its message to the San Francisco Chronicle, but said they would likely end their membership in 2015.
“We re-evaluate our memberships on an annual basis and are in that process now,” a company representative wrote in an e-mail to the newspaper. “While we have tried to work within ALEC to bring that organization closer to our view on some key issues, it seems unlikely that we will make sufficient progress so we are not likely to renew our membership in 2015.”
Numerous top-tier companies have departed from ALEC since it gained renewed prominence after Republicans swept to victory in state legislatures in 2010 and its model legislation became the subject of widespread controversy.
BOYcOTT faCEBOOK and THEir treaSONOUs stand AGAINSt ALEC and center RIGHt leanING aMERica!!1111!1one!11!1!!!
Why did Google, Facebook and Microsoft join in the first place?
Political showmanship. They have done their damage and don’t need ALEC anymore. These big tech companies figure they have set the wheels in motion to take over the internet, have already gathered as much information about their customers as they want, and made sure their cable companies and IPO are in good form. It will take years, maybe decades to undo the dye in the water or poison in the system. Why pay ALEC dues when their CEO’s are unable to buy that fifth house?
Would it be OK to ask why these Corporations ever had a relationship with ALEC? It no secret what ALEC is up to. ALEC is anti-People…and FB is supposed to be a pro people outfit.
I saw this on the alec website and found it amusing:
“ALEC is the nation’s largest, non-partisan, individual public-private membership association of state legislators.”
Non-partisan? Really? I’m supposed to believe that tripe? If they are non-partisan why do they push right wing ideology?