Tiffiniy Cheng reflects on her activism during the years of the Obama presidency, with a particular focus on her advocacy for digital rights, online privacy, and internet freedom. Cheng outlines her development as an activist, remembers the excitement around the political potential of the internet, and describes her activities around the time of Obama's election in 2008. Cheng co-founded Fight for the Future in 2011, and she provides details about the group's role in notable protest actions and activities, including the organization of American Censorship Day in 2011 in opposition to the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA). Cheng also describes her engagement with Obama administration officials surrounding the areas of her focus, and she recounts her advocacy for the classification of internet service providers as Title II common carrier services under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 in pursuit of net neutrality, which Obama publicly supported through a video announcement in November 2014. Also discussed are Fight for the Future's use of agency public comment procedures; the group's discussions with large internet companies and social networks; Cheng's work as a get-out-the-vote field director in Missouri for the Obama 2008 campaign; the Edward Snowden revelations about government surveillance programs; the FBI-Apple encryption dispute following the December 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California; and the Obama administration's treatment of journalists and whistleblowers
Presidents--United States; Network neutrality--United States; Data protection--United States; Privacy, Right of--United States; Internet--Law and legislation--United States; Internet--Political aspects; Electronic surveillance--Law and legislation--United States; Wiretapping--Government policy--United States; Civil rights--United States; Leaks (Disclosure of information)--United States; Whistle blowing--United States; Cheng, Tiffiniy; Obama, Barack; United States; Telecommunications Act of 1996
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2022
Physical Description
31 pages
Note (Biographical)
Tiffiniy Cheng is an activist focusing on digital rights, online privacy, and internet freedom. Cheng worked as a field director in Missouri for Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, and she advocated for net neutrality during the years of the Obama adm inistration. In 2011, Cheng co-founded Fight for the Future, a nonprofit advocacy group in the area of digital rights. At the time of the interview, Cheng is principal advisor and political strategist for A-Teams, building small activist teams for Fight for the Future. She was also a fellow at the Shuttleworth Foundation
Note
Interviewed by Nicole R. Hemmer on April 4, 2022. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Tiffiniy Cheng, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2023