Diane
Brown

Executive Director, Arizona PIRG

Started on staff: 1985
B.S., Springfield College; M.Ed., Springfield College

Diane E. Brown has worked with the State PIRGs for over 35 years, over half serving as the Executive Director of Arizona PIRG. She is a leader in efforts to protect consumers from unfair marketplace abuses and unsafe products; promote 21st century energy and transportation options; and foster an accessible and accountable government.

Diane frequently works with diverse entities; advocates and testifies before elected and governmental officials; and appears on television and radio and in newspapers across the state. Diane’s leadership has helped to secure public interest victories at the Arizona Legislature, the Arizona Corporation Commission, and various state agencies.

Diane is a recipient of awards from the Arizona Capitol Times, Phoenix Business Journal, League of Women Voters of Arizona, and Arizona League of Conservation Voters.

Posts by Diane Brown
News Release: Dark patterns: Your apps know too much about you, so what can you do?

Consumer alerts

News Release: Dark patterns: Your apps know too much about you, so what can you do?

When National Consumer Protection Week began in the late 1990s, many Americans still didn’t have internet access at home, let alone on mobile devices. Now, according to the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, infringement on our online privacy is a huge threat, even when you just have apps running in the background. A new tips guide from the Arizona PIRG Education Fund can help consumers control access to their private information and what companies can do with your data if they get it.

Media Releases  

‘Failing the Fix’ scorecard grades Apple, Google, Dell, others on how fixable their devices are

Right to repair

‘Failing the Fix’ scorecard grades Apple, Google, Dell, others on how fixable their devices are

According to the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, consumers often don’t know which products will last and they’ll be able to fix, or which manufacturers make fixable devices and support Right to Repair. A new scorecard by the organization, “Failing the Fix,” ranks the most popular cell phone and laptop makers for consumers who seek to purchase easily repairable products – especially those from companies who do not fight to prevent Right to Repair.

Media Releases  

Arizona PIRG Education Fund releases Top 10 list of financial complaints to CFPB in 2021

Consumer alerts

Arizona PIRG Education Fund releases Top 10 list of financial complaints to CFPB in 2021

According to the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, in 2021, a record number of people from across the country filed complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Public Consumer Complaint Database. Here in Arizona, close to 7,900 complaints were filed, likely representing a sliver of the scope as not all Arizonans are aware of or may choose to file a complaint with the CPFB.

Media Releases  

‘Hog-tied’ and fed up: New report shows dealership consolidation makes farmers’ lives harder

Right to repair

‘Hog-tied’ and fed up: New report shows dealership consolidation makes farmers’ lives harder

According to the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, many farm equipment manufacturers prevent farmers from accessing the software tools they need to fix their modern tractors. The organization states that this “forces farmers to turn to corporate-authorized dealers for many problems, which can lead to high repair bills and delays that can put their crops—and their livelihoods—at risk”. While farmers have always relied on local dealerships for help, more and more those dealerships have been bought up by large chain networks, further reducing competition and exacerbating the problems farmers already face due to repair restrictions.

Media Releases  

Show More