October 5, 2017
Who doesn’t know the top hat wearing, mustached man covering the popular board game “Monopoly”? Pictures and videos of a person dressed up as this well-known figure in a US Senate hearing appeared on the Internet throughout the last days. Protesting financial company Equifax’ behavior after a data breach had become known, activist Amanda Werner from Public Citizen and Americans for Financial Reform wore the costume during former CEO Richard Smith’s hearing at the Senate.
The data breach that first became public in September had possibly exposed data of more than 145 million people. In the following, “Equifax offered a credit monitoring service that required consumers to accept arbitration to settle disputes, something it has since removed”. Americans for Financial Reform declared in a statement this week that “Forced Arbitration Is a ‘Get-Out-of-Jail-Free’ Card for Banks That Cheat Customers”. Such “Get-Out-of-Jail-Free” Cards were also handed out during the protest.
Making her appearance at the hearing in the costume, the activist used Laughtivism, a powerful and humorous form of nonviolent action and activism. Through this, she drew attention to the case and issue, triggering widespread reactions on social media.
(Photo: Reuters / BBC)
