More than 380 artists have signed petition boycotting festivals supported by Amazon, such as the upcoming Intersect Music Festival, due to the company’s subsidiary Amazon Web Services (AWS) having ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and law enforcement.
Artists such as Sadie Dupuis, Geoff Rickly, Ted Leo, Atmosphere and Foxhound have all signed this letter, pledging to not participate in Amazon-sponsored events, or engage in exclusive partnerships with Amazon in the future, until Amazon: publicly commits to terminate their contracts with government organizations such as ICE, stops providing cloud services to systems that allows the government to fuel deportations, stops their facial recognition projects that allegedly encourage racial profiling and discrimination, and pledges to reject further engagement with “bad actors.”
The main center of this controversy focuses on data mining company Palantir, which designed the Investigative Case Management system (ICM). This system integrates a vast ecosystem of public and private data to track down immigrants, and eventually deport them.
This vast amount of data and algorithms powering ICM are now being migrated to AWS in their entirety. Palantir pays Amazon approximately $600,000 a month for the use of the AWS servers, according to the investigative reports surrounding the company.
The Intersect Festival’s relationship to its host, AWS has already caught controversy as a result of this letter, with one act, house DJ The Black Madonna, publicly dropping out of the event. The performer posted a statement to social media explaining her reasoning behind leaving the event, due to the service’s role with these governmental agencies.
Facial recognition is also coming underfire from numerous circles, with former Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello calling for ticket vendor TicketMaster to stop using the technology for concerts. “I don’t want Big Brother at my shows targeting fans for harassment, deportation, or arrest. That’s why I’m joining this campaign calling on @Ticketmaster and others not to use #facialrecognition at festivals and concerts,” Morello stated on social media.
A few of the artists who have signed this petition include Amy O, Chastity Belt, Circuit des Yeux, Deerhoof, Devon Welsh, Diet Cig, Downtown Boys, Dylan Baldi of Cloud Nothings, Girlpool, Guy Picciotto of Fugazi, Hurray for the Riff Raff, rapper Immortal Technique, Jeff Rosenstock, Kelly Moran, Matmos, Michael Falcone, Hellrazor, Speedy Ortiz, New Bomb Turks, Pile, ambient producer Ricky Eat Acid, Rituals of Mine, Shamir, Sheer Mag, Stef Chura, The Mowgli’s, all-female band Vivian Girls, War On Women, WHY, and singer-songwriter ZOLA JESUS.
Read the full list below:
185668232
25th Hour
2nd Grade
5-Track
A.O. Gerber
Abby Weems / Potty Mouth
absinthe father
Absolute Value
Adele Etheridge Woodson
Adia Victoria
Adorio
Adrian Jade Matias Bell (Nightjars)
Adzes
AEONS AND MONUMENTS
Al Riggs
Alanis Alvarez
Alex Anwandter
Alex Chips
Alex Edgeworth, Bed Bits
Alex Menne
Alicia Velasquez/Alice Bag
Alien birth
Ally Einbinder / Potty Mouth
Alyssa Milman, Puppy Angst/Blushed
Amar Lal
Amber Capwell
amiright?
Amy O
Anaïs
Anders Nils
Andrew Broder
Andy Chervenak
Andy Molholt
Angel Aura
Angela Seo & Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu
Angelina Pulido
Anna Altman
Anna Berlin
Anna Burch
another cultural landslide
Another Michael
artemis
Ashley Ninelives
Atmosphere
Audrey Zee Whitesides
Augusta Koch (Gladie, Cayetana)
Ava Luna
B Taylor
B. DOLAN
Baby Arms
Baby Jessica
Baker McNamara
Barko
Bastard Salt
Battle Ave.
Baywitch
Beck Kitsis, SIGNAL
Bee Side Cassettes
Bethlehem Steel
Betsy Tinney
Bexley Moms
Big Joanie
Big Ups
Birdspotter
Black Baptist
Black Squirrel, Run!
Blood club
Blushed
Bobby Brown (Rentboy)
Boneth Ahaneku
Branwen Shoop
Bri Adams (Many Rooms)
Brian Browder
Brian Kupillas
Brigdon Markward
Brody Roze
Brooks Ginnan
bruce take nap
Bueno
Caleb Churchill
Cam Bean
Cam LaFlam
Camino 84
Car Seat Headrest
Carla Lara
Carlos Truly
Carly / CARLY SPARKLY
Casey No
Casey Weissbuch
Cat Scarf
Cave Babies
Cave People
Celso Cano
Chad Nichols
champ.
Charley James
Chastity Belt
Chris F. 70 y.o.
Christine Pallon
Christopher Santiago
Ciemme
Circuit des Yeux
Clear Channel
Conrad Tao
Contour
Corbin Jones
corey foxton
corey marc fogel
Cortez disecado
Couch Slut
Crashing Through The Front Door
CRIMEGOTH
Crumbcatcher
curerbell
Curt Oren
Dama Scout
Damon & Naomi
Daniel H Levine
Danny J. // fka Daniel J. W!shington
Dave Sweeten
Davey Dynamite
David Settle
Deadlee
debt (Canada)
deepcouch
Deerhoof
Devon Geyer
Devon Welsh
Diana Lynn VanderMeulen
Diet Cig
Disposable America
Disq
DJ Cummerbund
Dogbreth
Don Giovanni Records
Dougie Poole
Downtown Boys
DRILL
Dummy
DUMP HIM
Dustings
Dylan Baldi (Cloud Nothings)
Dylan Hanwright
Echo Vessel
ella guro
Ellen Kempner
Elliot Fudge
Emily Yacina
Emma Lee Toyoda
Erica Dawn Lyle
Erin Anne
Euphoriadic Records
Eva Treadway (Pllush, The She’s)
EVAC
Evan Caminiti
Evan Greer
Everwalden
FACS
Faithful
Father/Daughter Records
Fellow Robot
Fern Mayo
Flash Trading
Flasher
Flick Liver
Flochango & the Moneyshots
Floral Tattoo
Flying Fish Cove
For Everest
Forest Management
Foxes in Fiction
Foxhound
Foxxxy Mulder
fuck yeah, dinosaurs!
Funeral Cone
G. L. Jaguar / PRIESTS
Garth Cummings
Gauche
Gavin Cooley
Generacion Suicida
Geoff Rickly / Thursday
German Error Message
German Error Message
Ghost Voice
Ghostwater
Girl Underground Music
Girlpool
Giselle Gabrielle
Glen Robinson
Globelamp
gobbinjr
Going Home Records
Gold Light
Grace Coleman
Graves
Greg Rutkin: LVL UP / Cende
Gregory Cordeira/ Goblin USA
Guy Picciotto of Fugazi
Hannah Epperson
Hannah Moroz
Hark
Harrison Mills (The Grievance Club)
Harry and the Potters
Harry Phillips
Heaven’s Club
HEELE
Henry Hank
Hether Fortune
Holy Gifts
Home Movies
Homeshake
Hopeful Utopian
Horror Movie Marathon
Human Futility
Hurray for the Riff Raff
Hurry Up
HXXS
Ilana Bryne
Immortal Technique
Infinity Crush
insignificant other
Isabel Reidy
Isador
Islet
itoldyouiwouldeatyou
Ivy Gray-Klein, Corey Flood
J. Mamana
J.Smith
Jack Washburn
Jacquie Cotillard
James Holden
Jamie Samaras
Jaryk / WE BUY HOUSES
Javier Peña
Jay Som
Jeff Rosenstock
Jenn Vix
Jes Skolnik, Daddy’s Boy/National Tattler
Jimmy Lo Fi
JJ Demon
jodi
Joe Piotrowski
Johanna Warren
John Rossiter
John Sutton
Jon Herroon
Jon Lipscomb
Jon Samuels, Yowler & Friendship
Jonathan “Bällz” Ramer of The Chode’s, Rotted Remains,Devil Fish,Toxic Abuse
jordan c weinstock!, american poetry club / it takes time records
Jordan Lee (Mutual Benefit)
Jordan Price
JorDat
Josephine Shetty, Kohinoorgasm
Josh Hou
Josh Weinberg
Josie Wails (JJ Demon and Greaze)
Julia Shapiro
Julian Fader
Juliet Quick
K / Damage Control
Kaeley Pruitt-Hamm
Kal Marks
kamikaze nurse
Karen Meat
Karl J. Palouček
Kate M. (Hellrazor, The Glow, Potty Mouth)
Katie Alice Greer, Priests / Sister Polygon Records
KEKS!
Kell
Kelly Moran
Kiana Saroce
King Pine
Kisses
Kitty
Kliph Scurlock
Krissy Lassiter, Krissanthemum
Kristel Jax, Brigitte Bardon’t
La Neve
La Peste/No Pretty Things
Lady Queen Paradise
Lala Lala
Lamniformes
Landlady
Larz Brogan
Laurie Kearney
Lavender Milk
Lazy Calm
Lee Bains III
Leo Heikkila, Butterfly
Lightning Bug
Lilah Larson
Lilith
Lily Chambers
Lily Mastrodimos / Long Neck
lina tullgren
Lisa Boucher
Lisa Prank
Lisa/Liza
Lisa/Liza
Liz Gilbert/Audiosapien Records
Lizdelise
Lizzi Bougatsos
Locate S,1
Lola Johnson
Lola Kirke
Lorenzo Gehlen
Los Skagaleros
Lovefingers
Lowercase Roses
Lowercase Roses
Lucas Knapp
lucia l. cervera
Lydia Ainsworth
Lydia Ainsworth
Mac Nero Music
Macie Stewart (Ohmme)
Madeline Babuka Black / Yucky duster
Man Random
MANEKA
Mango Tree
marbling
Mariah Garza
Mark Glick, AJJ
Mason Feurer
Mason Lynass
Math Erao (Absolute Fantasy)
Matmos
Mayah Kadish
Maymind
MELKBELLY
Michael Cormier (Friendship, Hour, Michael Cormier, Dear Life Records)
Michael DeForge (Moul D, Creep Highway)
Michael Falcone, Hellrazor (guitar) / Speedy Ortiz (drums)
Mike Caridi / LVL UP / The Glow
Mike Huguenor
Mike Lerro
Milk Teeth
Miserable chillers
mister goblin
Mister Lies
Mitchell Fisher
Mixed Deuce
Molly O’Malley
Morten HD
Mothers
mothpuppy
Mover Shaker
myka9
Myst Mach
Nat Baldwin
Natasha Jacobs (Thelma)
Needle Teeth
Neilson Family
neo-detritus
Nervous Curtains
Nervus
Neutral Shirt
New Bomb Turks
Nicola Leel
Night Witch
Noah Klein
Novae
OKO TYGRA
Owen Ashworth
Oxygin
Party Mountain
Pastel
Personal Space
Petal
Peter Katz (Peaer)
Petrichor
Petridisch
Phil Harty from Smile for the Sky
Pictoria Vark
Pictureplane
Pile
Pill Wonder
Pillowsnake
Pilsner Man
Pinkwash
Pity Sweater
Plains
Practicing Sincerity
pressxtocontinue
Pretty Matty
Prior Panic
Privacy Issues
Proper Nouns
Puppy Angst
Rachel Aggs
Rachel Levy
Radiator Hospital
Raphi Gottesman
Rat Disco
Razor Clam
Rebecca Weingast
Red Widow
Rei Clone
Remember Sports
Rentboy
Ricky Eat Acid
Riobamba
Rituals of Mine
Rivulets
Robby Schwartz, The Lionfish
Rose variety
Rosie Tucker
Ryan Harvey
Ryan Vo
Sad Baxter
Sad Cactus Records
Sadie Dupuis (Speedy Ortiz / Sad13)
Sailor Boyfriend
saltlick
Sam Farzin / Media Jeweler
Sam Gas Can
Sami
sammus / dr. enongo lumumba-kasongo
Santos Ramos
Sarah Holt
Sarah Tudzin – illuminati hotties
Scooter Jay
Seán Barna
Semaphore Mgmt
Shady Bug
Shamir
Sheer Mag
SIGNAL
Simpson
Sinai Vessel
Skrizzy
Slow Ref
Smutskatt
Spencer VH
Spin Off
Spud Xtra
SRSQ
Star Rats Records
Stary
Stef Chura
Stephen Pierce (Kindling, Ampere)
Stevie Knipe (Adult Mom)
subsad
Summer Cannibals
Sun Kin
Sun organ
SUPER of the Rio Grande Valley
Suzie True
SVUVN
Tall Child
Tall Texan Records
Tara Thiessen
TASH LC
Tasha
Ted Leo
Teen Pope
Terror Pigeon
Terry Edwards
The Ableist
The Acid Flashback at Nightmare Beach
The Black Madonna
The Blank Minds
the cluster flies
The Cowls
The Ensuing Disaster
The Holy Dark
The Hotelier
The Kennedys
The Kominas
The Legion of Decency
The Midgetmen
The Mowgli’s
The New Adventures
The Ophelias
The Revolutionaries
The Roland High Life
The Romantic Satire
The Signal Fire
The True Jacqueline
Thegrayscarves
Thelma
Thin Lips
Thor CB
Tim Kasher
Toddy R
Togs
Told Slant
Tom Wherrett
Tomberlin
tombo crush
toobin
Tough Age
Tristan Whitehill (Euglossine)
Troy Colby
Turnip King
TV Flesh
Tyler Andere
Tyler Bussey
Ushamami
Vaiapraia
Veladora
Verdigrls
Versing
VIAL
visibilities
Vivian Girls
Wakesleep/INTERNET CLUB
Walking Bombs
War On Women
Washer
Wetware Solutions
What Cheer? Brigade
WHY?
Wildhoney
William Baumle
Wintarslāf
Wolf Parade
WSABI Fox
Xenia Rubinos
XETAS
YACHT
Yohuna
Young Yeller / Blood Moon
Young.Canaya
Younger
Yum
Yuppy
Zach Burba, iji
ZAH
ZENIZEN
ZOLA JESUS
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
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