Jamie Bartlett

How tech lobbyists harness the power of grassroots activism

A strange thing happened after TFL’s decision last month not to renew Uber’s license to operate in London. The ride sharing app started a petition on the website change.org.

To defend the livelihoods of 40,000 drivers – and the consumer choice of millions of Londoners – sign this petition asking to reverse the decision to ban Uber in London.

Thousands of stranded bus-shy Londoners rushed to sign, making it the fastest growing petition in the UK this year. (At the time of writing it’s reached 855 thousand signatures). And of course it was accompanied by the mandatory hashtag #saveyouruber, which was shared by the official Uber UK Twitter account.

Big business has always used its clout and money to lobby. Millions are spent in London, Brussels and Washington on shaping laws. Until recent years most big tech firms steered clear of all this, mistakenly thinking they might avoid dirtying their hands with politics.

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