Building an Internet that works for people

Our mission at Reset Tech is to guard against digital threats to our security, safety, and fundamental rights. We seek to “reset” the connection between media and democracy to restore the promise of technology that works for people and free expression. We work to hold the biggest tech companies accountable to the values of democratic societies by promoting new ideas to change laws, industry standards, and consumer attitudes.

The Internet democratized media – making anyone online into a publisher with access to a vast trove of human knowledge. The digital marketplace of ideas is among the greatest achievements of humanity. But it is fragile. It is easily exploited, manipulated, and weaponized. And there is a lot of money to be made by giant companies that upset the public good for private gain.

We can all see it happening. Our kids are addicted to smartphones and suffering a generational crisis in mental health. Foreign influence operations target our elections. Our public conversation is hijacked by inscrutable algorithms pushing conflict and violence, flattening culture into tribal cliches. Vast networks of fake accounts on social media push scams, spam, fake videos, and conspiracy to grab our attention and profit at our expense. And at the center of the problem are a handful of tech monopolies that have become the wealthiest firms in the history of the world.

Reset Tech is a fully independent global enterprise with not-for-profit operations in North America, Europe, and Australia, created in 2019 with support from two philanthropies – the Sandler Foundation and Luminate (part of The Omidyar Group). We were incubated inside Luminate, with a headquarters in London. We are supported exclusively by public service funding. We have been privileged to partner with leading philanthropies in the countries where we work, including Omidyar Network, Alfred Landecker Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, and Skoll Foundation. We are governed by a Board of Directors that oversees our global operations.