1/12 I’m calling on #CrisisTextLine to stop allowing anonymous donations. It was shared with me that 2020 financials were recently posted. In 2020, there were massive donations—securities donations totaling $30.4M plus several cash at $1M. All appear anonymous.
2/12 Due to the orgs ethical failures related to data, the public needs to know who is behind the money, especially if the $ has data affiliations. It’s time to end the anonymous donor policy.
crisistextline.org/donor-confiden…
3/12 RE: @ultush thread on Loris. ai, Inc. Keep in mind,Crisis Text Line hasn't divested from Loris .ai. Only stopped sending new data after being exposed. CTL already gave Lorisai 100s millions of sensitive msgs, unethically sourced w/o informed consent.
4/12 Millions of sensitive conversations that Loris. ai, Inc. can keep and use as long as it wants, subject to undisclosed contractual arrangements with Crisis Text Line, Inc. Supposed control over that use, I remain skeptical as the lack of transparency continues.
5/12 The last time donations approached such a figure was 2016, and they were announced publicly. It was $23.8M from “tech A-listers” including Omidyar network (whose affiliate Dena Trujillo is current Crisis Text Line CEO). vox.com/2016/6/15/1195…
6/12 Omidyar also invested in Loris .ai (2018 article). Only two dots to connect here, and they are still very much connected with $$$, data. And CTL still entertains the idea of research and AI w/o consent on conversations. This is wrong & needs to stop. techcrunch.com/2018/02/06/lor…
7/12 2020 financials here (link to form 990). At pdf p2 line 8 Contributions & Grants went from $17.1M in 2019 to $49.1M in 2020, the highest single year ever. p23 lists 2020 contributions of $1M+, all anonymous. p15 has yr 2016-2020 total contributions. crisistextline.org/wp-content/upl…
8/12 2020 Legal fees $745k wmhlaw.com/practice-areas/, software development contractors $292k (Andela.com). $265k to GrayScalable.com for tech & software engineer recruiting. $234k lobbying Glover Park Group fgh.com
9/12 According to 2020 financials, liabilities of settlement agree w/ Nancy Lublin will be in 2021 financials. Separation agreement was made 2/20/2021 but Lublin was fired 6/12/2021. “Today the Board voted to terminate Nancy Lublin effective immediately.” web.archive.org/web/2020061808…
10/12 “On February 20, 2021, the Organization entered into a formal separation agreement with its former Chief Executive Officer.Any financial liabilities resulting from that agreement will be recognized in the Organization’s 2021 financial statements.”p18 crisistextline.org/wp-content/upl…
11/12 Crisis Text Line wired $302k to another country w/in North America region (p33) Canada? For “technology and data innovations”. Presume Kids Helpline. If Crisis Text Line is only vendor (per thread), why send $302k? Lack of trust raises questions.
12/12 In sum, transparency is needed and owed to the public. Please start by stopping anonymous donations. #CrisisTextLine
References to Omidyar as investor in Loris .ai: This press release from Loris .ai directly mentions Omidyar's investment in Loris. The above article was linked from Omidyar's website ( omidyar.com/news/loris-ai-… ). prnewswire.com/news-releases/…
PS 1/6 #CrisisTextLine won't change on its own, please share. CEO Dena Trujillo was (is?) with Omidyar network, philanthropy? INVESTORS in Loris. ai, Inc. This PS thread shows Crisis Text Line now trying to hide. 1st, note Omidyar investment in CTL, 2016 medium.com/omidyar-networ…
PS 2/6 January 28, 2022. Dena Trujillo became interim CEO June 2020 with firing of Nancy Lublin, Trujillo is now CEO. It was this linked January 28, 2022 POLITICO article that fully exposed the Crisis Text Line – Loris. ai, Inc. data enterprise.
politico.com/news/2022/01/2…
PS 3/6 January 31, 2022 @politico reports Crisis Text Line has ended its data sharing relationship with Loris. But CTL still retained shares and profit-sharing, & Loris .ai retained the data, tell me if I'm wrong. Eyes of public move on (understandable).
politico.com/news/2022/01/3…
PS 4/6 February 1, 2022. Crisis Text Line website still prominently displays all Board of Director members & their affiliations, and all Advisory Board members & their affiliations. web.archive.org/web/2022020102…
PS 5/6 February 4, 2022. Board of Director members & affiliations remain, but all Advisory Board member names & affiliations are removed. web.archive.org/web/2022020421…
PS 6/6 February 24, 2022. Now website is down to just the Board of Director names only. Their affiliations have all been removed. That, my friends, is the opposite of accountability. Please donate if able to the @internetarchive . web.archive.org/web/2022022416…
Fact-checking self - Correction to tweet 9/12:
Nancy Lublin was fired on 6/12/2020. Her separation agreement with CTL came LATER, on 2/20/2021, according to 2020 financials, pdf page 18.
crisistextline.org/wp-content/upl…
So far, silence from #CrisisTextLine about their advisory boards following my followup email. I don't think they will admit (to me) what they've done with the advisory boards. Be open, be honest, you're a public service provider.
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