Hi everyone,

ACTION: Become one of the first founding members of new movement United Citizens www.crowdfunder.co.uk/united-citizens

Thanks again for signing the petition.

As an update, yesterday the Guardian reported that Tim Cook said tech firms should prepare for 'inevitable' regulation.

Yet there still has been no answer from the CEO of Apple in response to our people's petition. That is why, behind the scenes, we have been working hard to figure out how we organise a new citizens’ response.

And today I can announce that we are launching a new global democratically-run membership organisation called United Citizens.

Our first mission is to empower you and fellow citizens to hold big tech companies to account.

The only way we can do this is through a crowdfunder. To be truly independent, we have to fund our own efforts.

ACTION: Become one of the first founding members of new movement United Citizens www.crowdfunder.co.uk/united-citizens

I hope you join United Citizens, and if you do, also consider running to be an elected representative of our new movement. Full details on why we're doing this and what you get as a member are available on the link above.

If we raise £40,000 and recruit 1,000 members, we will vote on the campaigns and actions we take as a community to hold Tim Cook and other tech company CEOs to account. We're counting on you - United Citizens will be stronger with you as a member. Join us now.

Let's do this.

Alvin Carpio (Chief Executive, The Fourth Group)