Public vs Private: The Accountability Framework (and Why Change.org Has Changed Nothing) #6
Description
The Original Sin of Online Petitions
Change.org has 565 million users. Millions of petitions. And what has actually changed?
Here's the dirty secret: Change.org is a for-profit company masquerading with a .org domain. They make money selling promoted petitions. They won't even let organizers access signer contact information. Only about 1% of petitions go viral, and even those rarely create measurable outcomes.
The petition model is fundamentally broken because it asks for vague "change" with no specific deliverable. "Stop being bad" is not actionable. "Apologize for [specific harm]" is.
Apology isn't competing with change.org. We're replacing it with something that actually works.
The Public vs Private Distinction
Issue #1 mentioned "public vs. private apology options" but we need a legal-grade framework that protects private individuals while enabling accountability for public figures.
Why This Matters
In August 2024, a Change.org petition targeting Australian breakdancer "Raygun" got 45,000 signatures before being removed as "defamatory and misleading." This shows change.org has NO framework for distinguishing:
- Legitimate grievance vs. harassment
- Public figure accountability vs. private citizen pile-on
- Documented harm vs. mob rage
We need to solve this properly.
The Public Figure Doctrine
TIER 1: Always Public (Open Season)
These entities have voluntarily entered public life and wield power affecting millions. They are always valid targets for public apology demands:
- Elected officials and declared candidates
- C-suite executives of public companies (CEO, CFO, COO, etc.)
- Billionaires (their wealth concentration IS public impact)
- Media figures with 1M+ followers on any platform
- Anyone who has testified before Congress
- Corporations and their official accounts
- Regulatory agency heads and political appointees
TIER 2: Contextually Public
Public for professional conduct, protected for personal matters:
- Celebrities (accountable for professional actions, not private life)
- Influencers 100K-1M (accountable for sponsored content, brand deals)
- Public intellectuals, professors with public platforms
- Journalists (for their reporting, not personal opinions)
TIER 3: Always Protected (Private Only)
These individuals can only receive private apology requests through our platform:
- Private citizens (regardless of circumstance)
- Minors (ABSOLUTE protection, no exceptions)
- Employees below C-suite level
- Family members of public figures (unless they've independently entered public sphere)
- Victims of crimes or public incidents
The Apology Debt Hall of Fame
Launch candidates for public apology demands:
Mark Zuckerberg
| Harm | Documentation |
|---|---|
| Algorithmic amplification of 2020 misinformation | Facebook Papers, whistleblower testimony |
| Cambridge Analytica data breach | FTC $5B settlement |
| Instagram's impact on teen mental health | Internal research leaked by Frances Haugen |
| Platform role in Myanmar genocide | UN investigation findings |
| "Move fast and break things" breaking democracy | The entire 2016-2024 period |
Elon Musk
| Harm | Documentation |
|---|---|
| Amplifying antisemitic content on X | ADL documentation, advertiser exodus |
| Spreading COVID misinformation | Documented tweets, factory reopening during lockdown |
| Tesla Autopilot deaths from overpromising | NHTSA investigations, crash reports |
| "Pedo guy" defamation | Trial record (legal win ≠ moral absolution) |
| Should apologize preemptively for Mars promises | Ongoing |
RFK Jr.
| Harm | Documentation |
|---|---|
| Vaccine-autism misinformation | Exposed by literally all of science |
| Measles outbreak contributions | Epidemiological tracking to anti-vax campaigns |
| Undermining pandemic public health | Public statements, CHD organization |
| Current HHS activities | TBD but preventatively concerning |
Competitive Differentiation: Apology vs Change.org
| Feature | Change.org | Apology |
|---|---|---|
| Business model | For-profit selling promoted petitions | TBD (but transparent) |
| Ask type | Vague "stop doing X" | Specific: apologize for Y |
| Outcome | Unmeasurable awareness | Binary: apologized or didn't |
| Public/Private distinction | None (removed Raygun petition reactively) | Legal-grade doctrine |
| Response mechanism | None - target can ignore | Built-in: apologize OR explain refusal |
| Non-apology detection | N/A | AI-powered PR-speak rejection |
| Resolution tracking | Petition "closed" means nothing | Apology delivered, accepted, or outstanding |
| Data ownership | Platform keeps signer data | Organizers own their supporters |
| Success rate | ~1% "victory" (vaguely defined) | Clear: apology delivered or not |
Technical Implementation
Public Figure Verification System
PublicFigureStatus:
- tier: 1 | 2 | 3
- verification_sources: [wikipedia, sec_filings, follower_counts, public_office_records]
- context_restrictions: [professional_only, all_public, protected]
- appeals_process: boolean
Apology Request Types
ApologyDemand (Tier 1 targets):
- fully_public: true
- signature_collection: enabled
- media_sharing: enabled
- response_required: true (or documented refusal)
ContextualRequest (Tier 2 targets):
- scope: professional | personal
- visibility: public if professional, private if personal
- verification: context must match tier
PrivateReconciliation (Tier 3 / private individuals):
- fully_private: true
- no_public_visibility: enforced
- no_signature_collection: enforced
- mediation_available: true
Anti-Harassment Protections
- Rate limiting on requests to any individual
- Pattern detection for coordinated harassment campaigns
- Appeals process for incorrectly classified individuals
- Immediate removal pathway for Tier 3 violations
- Legal compliance team for edge cases
The Accountability Gap
Change.org hasn't changed anything because signing a petition is performative empathy. You click, you feel good, you move on. The target ignores it.
Apology creates accountable outcomes:
- Specific ask (apologize for X)
- Public record (demand documented)
- Response required (apologize or explain why not)
- Non-apology detection (can't weasel out)
- Resolution tracking (did it work?)
- Social proof (how many people are owed this apology?)
The question isn't "do you support change?" The question is: "Does Mark Zuckerberg owe you an apology?"
The answer is yes. Now let's collect.
References
- Change.org effectiveness analysis
- Change.org business model criticism
- IEEE study on petition success factors
Related: Issue #1 (original public/private concept), Issue #3 (corporate complaints), Issue #5 (Eddington Problem)