Scott Galloway’s “Resist and Unsubscribe”: Why He Says It’s Time to Boycott Big-Tech Titans Amazon, Apple & Google

Scott Galloway, the outspoken NYU Stern professor and podcast host, is surging back into the headlines with a one-two punch: a nationwide “Resist and Unsubscribe” boycott aimed at Big Tech and a stark warning that OpenAI may shelve its much-anticipated IPO. THE BOYCOTT THAT HITS TECH IN THE WALLET Galloway’s campaign urges Americans to cancel or pause subscriptions to Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Google One, Netflix, and six other household platforms for the month of February. The goal, he says, is to pressure CEOs who he believes are “enabling” controversial immigration enforcement tactics by U.S. authorities. Economic boycotts work, Galloway argues, because they strike at the “soft tissue” of companies that monetize attention and recurring revenue streams. Early social-media metrics show the hashtag #ResistAndUnsubscribe gaining millions of impressions, while advocacy groups are publishing step-by-step cancellation guides—an indicator that the strike is resonating beyond his regular podcast audience. WHY OPENAI’S IPO COULD STALL Even as he organizes a consumer revolt, Galloway is rattling markets with a contrarian call on the artificial-intelligence darling OpenAI. On his “Prof G Markets” show, he assigned a “non-zero” probability that OpenAI walks away from going public, citing a sudden “vibe shift” in investor sentiment. According to Galloway, the company’s competitive moat is narrowing as rivals like Google Gemini and Anthropic sprint ahead in enterprise deals, while political optics around Sam Altman’s proximity to the White House leave some fund managers “gagging.” He warns retail investors that if the IPO proceeds, pent-up demand could inflate the opening price to “irrational” levels before fundamentals catch up. WHAT’S AT STAKE FOR BIG TECH 1. Subscription sensitivity: Losing even a fraction of monthly subscribers for four weeks can shave hundreds of millions off revenue tallies reported next quarter. 2. Brand equity: A coordinated opt-out spotlights labor practices, data privacy, and political lobbying—issues that already weigh on public perception. 3. IPO pipeline: If OpenAI retreats, copycat AI listings could slow, chilling what bankers have called 2026’s “megacycle” for tech flotations. WILL CONSUMERS FOLLOW THROUGH? Sustaining a boycott is notoriously difficult, but Galloway’s media reach—spanning podcasts, cable news hits, and viral video clips—gives the movement an attention advantage. Analysts say that if even 3-5 % of U.S. Prime households lapse for one billing cycle, Amazon’s reported subscriber count could dip for the first time since 2014, a data point Wall Street would scrutinize. LOOKING AHEAD • February 20: Mid-month checkpoint; campaign organizers plan to release attrition statistics. • March 1: Galloway promises a debrief on which companies “felt the sting” and whether extensions are warranted. • Q2 earnings season: The ultimate scoreboard, when cancellation waves—or their absence—will surface in SEC filings. BOTTOM LINE By coupling an activist boycott with market-moving commentary, Scott Galloway has positioned himself at the center of two high-stakes narratives: consumer power over platform giants and investor skepticism around the AI gold rush. Whether “Resist and Unsubscribe” rewrites subscription economics or OpenAI actually delays its IPO, the next few weeks will determine how seriously Silicon Valley—and Wall Street—take the professor’s latest prognostications.