Galloway Targets Tech Valuations in Boycott to Pressure Trump on Immigration

2026-02-07 politics

New York, Friday, 6 February 2026.
Galloway’s “Resist and Unsubscribe” campaign targets high-valuation tech firms, arguing that canceling a $240 annual subscription could wipe out $10,000 in market capitalization, forcing political change through economic pressure.

Leveraging the Multiplier Effect

At the heart of the “Resist and Unsubscribe” initiative lies a calculated financial strategy designed to exploit the high valuations of the technology sector. Professor Scott Galloway posits that because the Trump administration prioritizes market performance over ideology, the most effective form of resistance is economic pressure applied to the “soft tissue” of the S&P 500 [1]. Galloway illustrates this leverage using the valuation multiples of companies like OpenAI. He explains that for a company trading at 40 times its revenue—derived from an $800 billion market cap against $20 billion in revenue—the cancellation of a single $240 annual subscription does not merely reduce revenue by that amount [1]. Instead, it theoretically erodes approximately $10,000 in shareholder value 9600 [1]. This multiplier effect is central to the boycott’s logic, aiming to inflict maximum market damage with minimal consumer sacrifice [5].

Strategic Targets: Ground Zero and Enablers

The campaign, which launched in late January 2026, categorizes its targets into two distinct groups based on their relationship with the administration and the economy [3][8]. The primary tier, labeled “Ground Zero,” consists of ten companies with outsized economic influence and subscription-based models, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, OpenAI, Paramount+, Uber, and X [3][6]. A secondary tier, termed the “Blast Zone,” targets corporations identified as active enablers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, such as AT&T, Comcast, Dell, and Marriott [6][7]. This targeted approach follows reports that ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spent $140 million on cloud services provided by Amazon and Microsoft under the current administration [6].

The Catalyst: Minneapolis and Immigration Policy

The urgency of this economic strike stems from a violent crackdown on immigration and specific lethal incidents involving federal agents [1]. The boycott gained momentum following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis: Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24, 2026 [3]. These events, coupled with reports of masked “secret police” enforcing immigration mandates, have galvanized consumer activism and prompted over 300 tech workers to sign a petition demanding their employers pressure President Donald Trump on the issue [1][3]. Galloway argues that corporate leaders, such as Apple CEO Tim Cook—who recently communicated a message of de-escalation to the President—possess the necessary access to influence administration policy if their stock prices are threatened [1][6].

Analyzing Impact and Feasibility

While the campaign urges a month-long boycott throughout February 2026, questions remain regarding its long-term efficacy [3][4]. Critics have labeled the effort “virtue signaling,” suggesting that a four-week pause may not be sufficient to drive systemic change, noting that historical movements like the Montgomery bus boycott required over a year to succeed [4][8]. However, Galloway maintains that the initiative serves as a critical market signal, asserting that targeting high-growth tech stocks offers 40 times the impact of traditional boycotts, such as avoiding a grocery chain [5]. To demonstrate commitment, Galloway revealed he is transferring assets away from Goldman Sachs and has canceled his own Uber account, on which he previously spent $34,000 annually [5].

Sources

consumer boycott corporate activism