Tech Transparency Project

What Tech Transparency Project does

Tech Transparency Project (TTP) is a U.S.-based nonprofit research organization founded in 2016 as an initiative of Campaign for Accountability, a 501(c)(3) parent. The organization conducts investigative research on the societal, political, and economic impacts of major technology companies, with platform-specific coverage of Meta/Facebook, Google, Apple, Amazon, and cryptocurrency platforms. TTP has published more than 205 investigative reports exposing issues such as content moderation failures, undisclosed lobbying, revolving-door personnel movements, supply chain ties to forced labor, and algorithmic harm.

TTP's product portfolio consists of interactive web-based research databases and investigative tools built on standard web technologies, including a FOIA document archive, the Google Detector browser extension, and a suite of visualization tools such as the U.S. and EU Revolving Door Explorers, the Tech Funding Database, the Google-Funded Academics Database, the Google Flights Tracker, the Media Takeover Database, and the White House Meeting Explorer. Special projects include 'Facebook's Broken Promises,' 'Google's Globe-Spanning Flights,' and 'Apple's Ties to Forced Labor in China (Broken Chain).' Underlying technology relies on Flourish and Django-based data platforms, indicating modest technical infrastructure rather than proprietary AI/ML systems.

TTP operates as a donation-funded nonprofit, with its donate flow routed through Campaign for Accountability. Its primary audiences are policymakers and regulators, journalists and media organizations, and the general public; its go-to-market is community-led, centered on publishing investigative reports, distributing free interactive tools, and amplifying findings through earned media and Congressional engagement. The organization claims 1,148 media mentions, 89 Congressional mentions, 7 attributed policy changes, and 5 awards as impact metrics.

Name

Tech Transparency Project

Legal name

Tech Transparency Project

Website

https://techtransparencyproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tech Transparency Project is a U.S.-based nonprofit research organization founded in 2016 that investigates Big Tech accountability through investigative reports and interactive databases, serving policymakers, journalists, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technology Policy Research

NAICS

Publishing Industries (513), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Communications, Transparency & Open Government (BPAIAAAH), Public Transparency Portals & Open Data Reporting (EDADAIAN), Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good) (BPAGALAK)

Keywords

• Tech policy research
• Big tech accountability
• Corporate transparency
• Investigative research
• Advocacy journalism

Headquarters

HQ city

S Central Washington Co

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: TTP operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations. The website features a donate button linking to Campaign for Accountability's donation platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tech Transparency Project is a nonprofit investigative research organization that studies the influence and practices of major technology companies, including Google, Facebook/Meta, Apple, Amazon, and cryptocurrency firms. The organization produces investigative reports, interactive databases, and analytical tools that track Big Tech's lobbying, political influence, revolving-door personnel movements, and corporate behaviors. Its outputs are published online and made freely accessible to support public, journalistic, and policy-maker understanding of the tech industry's impact on society.

Product overview

Tech Transparency Project is a nonprofit research organization that develops investigative tools and databases to monitor and hold Big Tech companies accountable. The organization offers a suite of interactive research databases and browser extensions focused on tracking Big Tech's influence operations, including Google's revolving door personnel movements, funding to academics and media organizations, lobbying activities, and flight tracking. Special projects include the 'Broken Promises' database documenting Facebook's policy failures, Google's Globe-Spanning Flights investigation, and 'Broken Chain' examining Apple's supply chain issues. The portfolio consists of research databases, browser extensions, and special investigative projects—all designed to make tech industry practices transparent to the public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FOIA Archive
• Google Detector
• Tech Funding Database
• Google Flights Tracker
• Google-Funded Academics Database
• Google's US Revolving Door Explorer
• Google's Media Takeover Database
• Google Blame Game
• Google's White House Meeting Explorer
• EU Google Revolving Door Explorer
• Facebook's Broken Promises
• Google's Globe-Spanning Flights
• Apple's Ties to Forced Labor in China - Broken Chain

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 Policy Changes attributed to TTP research
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• AlgorithmWatch: A German-based nonprofit research and advocacy organization examining algorithmic decision-making and platform accountability. Overlaps TTP's content-moderation, tracking, and platform-accountability investigations, with a primarily European geographic focus versus TTP's U.S. base.

Broad incumbents

• ProPublica: An award-winning nonprofit investigative newsroom covering a wide range of accountability topics including Big Tech. A larger, better-funded incumbent that overlaps TTP in methodology (FOIA, data-driven investigations) but operates across many beats rather than specializing in tech accountability.
• Project on Government Oversight (POGO): A nonpartisan independent watchdog that investigates government corruption and waste, including revolving-door dynamics and federal contractor influence. Comparable to TTP in nonprofit investigative model, FOIA methodology, and revolving-door and federal-influence focus (TTP's White House Meeting and Revolving Door Explorers), but covers all of government rather than specializing in tech.
• Center for Public Integrity: A nonprofit investigative news organization focused on systemic corruption, money-in-politics, and corporate influence. Overlaps TTP in investigative-journalism nonprofit model and influence-tracking theme (similar to TTP's Tech Funding and Revolving Door databases) but covers a broader beat.

Direct peers

• The Markup: A nonprofit investigative newsroom focused on technology accountability, data privacy, and algorithmic harm. The Markup is the closest direct peer to TTP — same nonprofit model, similar Big Tech investigative beat, and overlapping topic areas including privacy, content moderation, and platform influence.
• Real Facebook Oversight Board: An independent body of academics and advocates producing research and recommendations on Meta/Facebook's impact on society, including content moderation, child safety, and elections. Closely overlaps TTP's Facebook investigations and shares the nonprofit accountability-research model.
• Bellingcat: A nonprofit investigative research collective using open-source intelligence, FOIA requests, and structured databases to investigate powerful actors. Comparable to TTP in investigative-research nonprofit model, FOIA-driven methodology, and use of interactive tools/databases to publish findings.
• Accountable Tech: A nonprofit advocacy and research organization focused on holding Big Tech accountable for harms to democracy and society. Highly comparable to TTP in mission, Big Tech focus, and nonprofit advocacy model, with stronger emphasis on policy/legislative campaigns and TTP stronger on investigative reporting.

Emerging players

• OpenSecrets: A nonprofit research group tracking money in U.S. politics via structured, searchable databases. Directly comparable to TTP's Tech Funding Database, Revolving Door Explorer, and Media Takeover Database in approach — interactive transparency databases powered by public records — but focused on political money rather than tech industry influence.
• InfluenceMap: A nonprofit that tracks corporate influence over climate policy and other regulatory debates via data-driven research and interactive tools. Comparable to TTP in methodology (corporate-influence tracking, interactive visualizations, nonprofit research) but operates in climate/finance rather than the tech sector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tech-transparency-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tech Transparency Project