What is Data Divestment Day?
A note on references
I've linked to the source material for the factual information across this site. If it is possible for you to pay for access to the articles in order to support the newspapaers, magazines, and journalists who are doing the important work of attempting to hold our goverment and oligarch leadership acountable, I encourage you to do so. If you are not in a position to provide financial support, you should be able to access all of these articles using your public library (either printed material at the library, or digital resources accessible with a library card, or while using a library computer at a public library. Obviously access may be jurisdiction specific.) Librarians are under-appreciated heroes in our society, and they are probably happy to help you find the referenced material.
User data is one of the most valuable commodities in the world (Source: The Economist "The world's most valuable resource; Regulating the data econonmy", published May 6, 2017, accessed February 20, 2025). While the referenced article was published nearly eight years ago, data has become even more valuable in the intervening years. Most of us accept that the value of our data is outside of our control. We have accepted that the value we receive in trade for our data is worth cheaper prices on Amazon, relevant ads on Facebook or Instagram, or merely access to the service that is collecting our data.
If the first months of the second Trump administration has shown us anything, it is that our data is not safe with the US Government, and it is not safe in the hands of private companies.
Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, and Amazon all make billions of dollars on our backs. They profit off of us, while making every effort to ensure we continue to pay (and pay more!) for the conveniences on which we have become hooked.
Have you ever purchased an ebook through the Amazon Kindle store? After February 26th you effectively won't own that book any longer.
It's become quite trendy to hate Elon Musk, but Tesla has been making the argument that their Tesla owners don't own their cars since 2017.
No One Will Invite You to the Revolution
What's the average American to do?
There's a movement for an economic blackout on February 28th, 2025. Perhaps if a large enough group of people don't make purchases on a single day, that will send a powerful message. And it's possible. But what if, in addition to removing our money from the economy, we also remove our data? And not for a single day, but until these huge corporations remember that we are more than just cogs in their perpetual money machines. We have the power to remove ourselves from their data economy.
Let's be honest. Divesting from the major data consumers, refusing to shop for a day, none of this will make a meaningful impact against the burgeoning US Kleptocacy. We won't change their attitudes towards us. But we can change our attitude about ourselves. The more we empower ourselves, the less we will accept their disregard.
How to Divest Your Data
Delete your Amazon account
- Why do it? Amazon is bad for America. It's bad for the people who work there. It's bad for the environment. It's bad for communities. Amazon is doing active harm to the United States and the people who live here and isn't paying it's fair share.
- What to Do
- Wean yourself off slowly. Instead of mashing "Buy Now" and feeding the endorphin rush of "Same Day/ Next Day Delivery" keep items in your cart for a certain amount of time. You can start slow, wait two days instead of one. Then three days, then five, then a week.
- If the items are still in your cart after a week/two weeks/month and you still want/ need them, purchase them.
- This works best if, when you're in the grocery store/ hardware store/ Target you pull up your Amazon list and see how much you can purchase on the spot.
- Do you have subscriptions that ship automatically?
- Ideally figure out where to buy those things in your community. There are still numerous neighborhood hardware stores, grocery stores, and pet supply stores throughout the country.
- If you live in a place where the big boxes have pushed the small business out, you can order from small businesses elsewhere in the country. It may take a little lonegr to reach you, but with a little advance planning you can make it happen.
- It might be helpful to print out a blank monthly calendar to track what you buy and when, and when your subscriptions usually arrive. If diapers usually arrive from Am*zon on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, make sure you set those purchases up ahead of time so that they'll continue to arrive on schedule.
How to do it
- Do you want to keep your Amazon data? If so, you can request it. If you request all of your data it may take up to a month for you to receive it.
- Do you have audio books through audible? Download them.
- Have you purchased movies/ shows through Amazon Video? Figure out another way to access them.
- Have you ever used Amazon photos? Take a look and download any pictures you want to keep
- Bottom line is, for now at least, when you click the "Close My Account" button, Amazon gives you a handy list of all the great stuff you're going to lose access to if you complete this unthinkable action. If it starts to feel daunting, remember that Amazon donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration. And that Jeff Bezos, despite having stepped aside from as Amazon's CEO, remains the company's majority shareholder and earns money on every Amazon transaction. He's also singularly bad for democacy as a human being.
Delete your Meta accounts (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp)
- Why do it? Meta has an established track record of being bad for democracy. It's also bad for humans (kids and adults. The benefits of quitting facebook have been documented
- If you're anything like me, this one sounds scary. The first few years of my kids' lives were shared with family and friends near and far on Facebook. The good news is that you can download all of your Facebook and Instagram content.
- What to Do
- Make a list of the people you keep in touch with priamrily through Facebook or Instagram. If those relationships are important to you, reach out to those folks to get their contact information.
- If you're inclined to do so, you can post that you are planning to leave meta (you can tell people why, maybe others will join you). This gives people an opportunity to reach out to you if they want to stay in touch and don't know how.
- Post the information more than once. We all know how fickle the algorithms can be.
- Back up your data. This is fairly straightforward using instructions posted on facebook
- Read the options carefully. Make sure you're downloading everything from all time, not just the last year (that's the default setting)
- Once it's done you'll get an email letting you know that the request is in process. When it's done you're supposed to get another email letting you know that it's complete. The first time I did this I never got the second email and missed the four day download window.
- Download your data. If you're inclined, double check what you've received. If there's a problem figure out how much time you want to spend troubleshooting it, and how frustrated you're willing to let them make you feel. Don't give them more of your time/ energy than you have to spare.
- Delete your account.
Some Alternatives to Amazon, Meta, etc (a work in progress)
- Amazon Alternatives
- Get to know your neighbors.
- Have a fast growing toddler? One of your neighbors may have a kid who's just outgrown a bunch of clothes. Ask if they would like the items returned or if you should pass them on when your kid outgrows them.
- Need a basin wrench? Someone in your neighborhood may already have one they can loan you.
- Curious about the best battery powered lawn mower? Maybe someone in your neighborhood has one they'd be willing to let you borrow.
- Here's a handy list of online Amazon alternatives from Rolling Stone
- Please note, this list includes Instacart, which, per Newsweek donated $100,000 to the Trump campaign or inauguration committee
- Zero Waste Outlet
- Try an Ace Hardware for... almost anything. It may be a little pricier than Amzon, Home Depot, or Lowes, but it's probably owned by a member of your community.
- Meta Alternatives
- Like FB/Twitter? Try Bluesky
- Like Insta? Try Flashes (link will open the ios app store)