Wisconsinites Highly Critical of Tech CEOs & A.I. Data Center Tax Breaks
MADISON – A new PPP/Tech Oversight Project survey of Wisconsin voters shows near-universal support for lawmakers taking action to tackle Big Tech abuses, and bipartisan agreement that Big Tech companies have too much political power. Wisconsinites also strongly oppose giving Big Tech further tax breaks to build data centers in the state.
“An overwhelming majority of Wisconsinites – on both sides of the aisle – are crying out for action, and it’s time that elected officials wake up and heed their calls. This issue is a political winner, and politicians would be smart to listen to Wisconsin voters and take the fight to Big Tech,” said Sacha Haworth, Executive Director of The Tech Oversight Project.
The survey shows almost universal support among Wisconsinites for lawmakers taking action to tackle Big Tech abuses:
- 91% support passing a state law to ban surveillance pricing by tech companies.
- 89% support passing a kids online safety law to prevent social media companies from using exploitative algorithms and prohibit addictive features like overnight push notifications for kids.
- 88% think lawmakers should do more to prevent personal sensitive data from being collected and sold to advertisers.
- 88% support protecting seniors and veterans from online scams, the majority of which originate on Big Tech social media platforms.
Bipartisan majorities believe that Big Tech has too much political power:
- 82% of Democrats, 65% of Republicans and 82% of Independents said that executives of Big Tech companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon have too much influence over government policy.
Wisconsinites do not support tax breaks for Big Tech data centers:
- 67% oppose state lawmakers giving Big Tech more tax exemptions to construct more data centers in Wisconsin.
Earlier this week, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul held a press conference to warn parents that reports of youth online exploitation cases continue to increase.
The Tech Oversight Project is a nonprofit dedicated to holding Big Tech accountable by passing comprehensive antitrust, privacy protections, and children’s safety legislation.
Margin of error: +/- 4.2%