“Pouncing upon this moment right now is critical."
Sacha Haworth, Executive Director
To achieve this, the Tech Oversight Project engages with key lawmakers and decision-makers to punch back against Big Tech’s false narratives, expose bad actors in tech who are harming our country, and push for landmark antitrust legislation to restore competition and normalcy in our everyday lives.
The Tech Oversight Project is proud to receive 100% of its funding from like-minded philanthropic organizations, like Omidyar Network and Economic Security Project Action, that believe in tech accountability, competition reform, and reducing the harms of Big Tech platforms.
In the past, the Tech Oversight Project has also partnered with like-minded small and medium-sized tech companies, like DuckDuckGo and Proton, in public one-off projects.
Leadership
Sacha Haworth
Executive Director
Executive Director
Sacha Haworth
Sacha is a veteran of political campaigns all over the country and has worked at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, House Majority PAC, and on Capitol Hill. During the 2020 presidential election, Sacha ran the paid media program for American Bridge 21st Century, which used targeted television, radio, digital, and mail to persuade former Trump voters in rural areas. Sacha received her Masters in Public Policy from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy in 2016.
Kyle Morse
Deputy Executive Director
Deputy Executive Director/Communications Director
Kyle Morse
Kyle is a strategic communicator who has served as a senior advisor to members of Congress, Democratic campaigns, and progressive organizations. During the 2020 election, Kyle served as the Deputy Communications Director for the Trump War Room – shaping coverage surrounding Donald Trump and leading the rapid response program.
Marjorie K. Connolly
Communications Director
Communications Director
Marjorie K. Connolly
Marjorie is a strategic communicator whose experience spans government, advocacy, and media. She has led high-impact communications campaigns and advised policymakers on key health and tech policy issues, distilling intricate topics into clear, persuasive messaging that resonates with diverse audiences.
The Tech Oversight Project today applauded the Vermont Kids Code becaming law, becoming the fourth U.S. state age-appropriate design code law and the second one signed by a Republican governor:
“Just last year, Governor Phil Scott vetoed the Vermont Kids Code. This year, he signed it into law – proof that calls for accountability for Big Tech on kids’ safety have become too powerful to ignore. This win didn’t happen by accident; it happened because Rep. Monique Priestley, Sen. Wendy Harrison, and lawmakers from both parties stood up to relentless Big Tech lobbying and out-of-state pressure. It happened because Vermont parents, families and youth advocates refused to back down. That’s how you take on outside money and win. Across the country, we’re seeing the same pattern: when communities unite, they can overcome Big Tech’s shady tactics and deliver real protections for kids.”
— Sacha Haworth, Executive Director, The Tech Oversight Project
About the Vermont Kids Code
S.69, the 2025 Vermont Age-Appropriate Design Code, will improve young people’s digital experiences by requiring tech companies to implement privacy-by-default and safety-by-design protections for kids online. This means not collecting or selling their data, setting high privacy standards by default, and avoiding manipulative design.
Community Support for the Kids Code
Vermont has seen a groundswell of community support for the Kids Code and data privacy:
- Manchester Journal – ‘It’s time to break free’: Legislators, students rally in Manchester for Age-Appropriate Design (Danielle M. Crosier, May 19, 2025)
- Greater Northshire Access Television – Rally for the Age Appropriate Design Code (The News Project, May 20, 2025)
- Kids Code Coalition – Letter to Governor Scott
- Front Porch Forum – Letter to VT Legislators
- Design It For Us – Letter to Governor Scott
Big Tech Lobbying in Vermont
Vermont, like other states pursuing kids’ online safety and data privacy bills, has also seen an influx of tech lobbying over the past several years.
- Major tech companies significantly ramped up their lobbying efforts to oppose the Vermont Kids Code over the past two years, underscoring Big Tech’s substantial and growing influence in state politics.
- Anti-Kids-Code lobbyists in Vermont and other states have been accused of not fully disclosing their affiliations and misrepresenting their positions during public hearings, undermining the legislative process.
- Anti-Kids-Code tech companies are known to employ indirect methods, such as funding local think tanks, community groups, businesses, and former state officials to influence policy outcomes.
