Groundwork Collaborative

Misleading online reviews waste people's time, money, and trust—while harming businesses that play by the rules. The Federal Trade Commission's new rule banning fake reviews is a big step forward in promoting fair competition and honest marketplaces. Now, businesses that knowingly try to cheat and game the system by buying or producing fake reviews will face real penalties, protecting consumers from scams and empowering them to make informed choices. This is a win for consumers and American businesses alike. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ghfHS85c #ConsumerProtection

The Federal Trade Commission’s  “click to cancel” rule is a win for consumers, ensuring they can cancel subscriptions as easily as they signed up. A new legal challenge to block the rule is an attempt by certain industries to protect their ability to charge consumers as much as they can for as long as they can. This lawsuit should be dismissed. Full statement from Executive Director Lindsay A. Owens, PhD ⬇️

Workers deserve to know what data is being collected about their performance. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new guidance aims to protect workers from surveillance tools, artificial intelligence, and algorithms being weaponized against workers’ livelihoods and future careers. Groundwork Collaborative’s newest Senior Fellow, Katie Wells, reacted to this important step in protecting workers' rights. ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eGH8GWu9

We are thrilled to welcome Katie Wells, Ph.D., to the Groundwork team as our newest Senior Fellow! Katie is a highly respected expert in tech and labor policy, with a focus on how new technologies are reshaping the lives of both workers and consumers. “Her research will make it clear how new technologies aren’t just being used by companies to hike prices, but also to squeeze workers,” said Executive Director Lindsay A. Owens, PhD. “Katie’s talents and expertise will bring us one step closer to achieving our mission of building an economy that works for all of us.” ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eEvvs--3

Have you ever tried to cancel a subscription, but found it frustratingly difficult? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is stepping up to protect consumers from deceptive subscription practices with its new "click to cancel" rule. Finalized just last week, this rule requires companies to make it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up—finally ending a practice corporations are adopting to charge as much as they can for as long as they can. Our Executive Director, Lindsay A. Owens, PhD, shared her insights with The Washington Post on how these practices leave consumers feeling exploited: "It's just one of the many ways that pricing feels unfair and is unmoored from the stability it once had. Companies offering 'easy, breezy technology on the way in' are 'trapping you in a corn maze or Rube Goldberg machine when it's time to quit.'" This new rule is a win for consumers and the fight to restore a fair price. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/edrbU-KS

🆕 A new report from Accountable.US shows how the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act gave massive benefits to the biggest corporations, saving them $240 billion in taxes while their profits jumped by 44%. But instead of investing in workers, many corporations funneled billions into stock buybacks and dividends. The result? Every day, hard-working Americans were left behind. It’s time for tax reform that puts people first and ensures corporations pay their fair share. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g4rpB_nV

PepsiCo, the maker of Tostitos and Ruffles, is adding 20% more chips to select bags in response to consumer complaints about shrinkflation — the practice of reducing product sizes while keeping prices the same. This move comes after a surprise revenue drop as consumers turn to more affordable alternatives. While the “bonus packs” may offer a temporary fix, companies need to be more transparent about pricing and packaging changes. Shrinkflation remains a widespread issue across many consumer products, and at a time when high prices are a top concern for Americans, consumers are taking note. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/e2vN4DEM

With the US presidential election just two weeks away and well...living in Washington DC, for better or worse, I feel immersed in the “political zone.” This zone, according to Brett Davidson’s recent piece, is one of three #narrativechange zones, along with cultural change and social connection. Brett’s piece is both a useful categorization of the often messy and overlapping circles - or zones - of narrative change and a provocation for how we might collaborate across different tactics. A quick summary: ✅ Political change: the most immediate of the three, and aims to build political power in the short term using polls and electoral outcomes to measure success. ✅ Cultural change: typically takes place over decades, aiming for long-term societal shifts in mindsets and values primarily via popular culture tools. ✅ Social connection: bridges divides and fosters social cohesion outside of political messaging and broad cultural change; here, personal connections and understanding are the tools to create lasting social change. My org, Groundwork Collaborative, rests squarely in the political zone. We work to change narratives and mindsets about what is considered ‘good’ for the economy. In brief, we believe what’s good for people (and the planet) is what’s good for the economy. But we are also trying to change mindsets about BIG ideas, like ending neoliberalism as we know it and advancing an abundance economy, rather than austerity. Can we make that change in the confines of the political zone? What would it look like for organizations and movements that care about similar issues to intentionally join up to build out more complementary strategies and tactics across these zones? Some are already doing this but I would venture it is happening less in the realm of the economic justice. I would love to hear what others think or how funders are exploring support for groups to work in complementary zones to advance narrative change. If you are interested in exploring questions like these, I write a monthly roundup and analysis of narrative change debates and thinking. You can sign up: https://lnkd.in/e9UMhGFa

ICYMI: The Federal Trade Commission has finalized its "click to cancel" rule, marking a big win for consumer rights. This rule ensures that canceling subscriptions will now be as simple as signing up, cutting through the hidden fees and unnecessary hoops consumers have faced for years. Such hoops, as Lindsay A. Owens, PhD put it are“ just one of the many ways that pricing feels unfair.” At Groundwork Collaborative, we’re committed to exposing these unfair practices and pushing for policies that protect working families and make the economy fairer for everyone. Read more about the FTC’s new rule: https://lnkd.in/edrbU-KS

The Federal Trade Commission just finalized the "click-to-cancel" rule, ensuring that consumers can cancel subscriptions as easily as they sign up for them. For years, companies have used deceptive subscription models to trap consumers in costly, hard-to-cancel services. This is a huge win for working people who’ve been exploited by predatory pricing tactics. Full statement from Groundwork's Executive Director Lindsay A. Owens, PhD. ⤵️