Queens lawmaker wants big tech to pony up

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File.

By Victoria Merlino

A Queens assemblymember wants tech companies to pay. Literally. 

Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato submitted legislation that would push tech companies that profit off of the data they glean from consumers to contribute to a state mutual fund, which would then pay out a yearly dividend to taxpayers. 

“Every status, like or comment we post, photo we upload, song we listen to, email we send - basically every activity we partake in on the internet or through our phones is used by tech giants for substantial profit,” Pheffer Amato said. “I fully support tech companies simplifying our lives, and making our world better by using data responsibly, but consumers should get their fair share.”

Pheffer Amato’s office likened the proposed dividend to the one Alaskans get each year through the revenue tax imposed on the state’s oil and mineral industries, citing that last year each Alaskan was able to receive $1,600 through the dividend. 

“By creating a state-run mutual fund that distributes a yearly dividend, New York taxpayers get more money in their pockets from profits they create,” Pheffer Amato said. 

Pheffer Amato’s bill comes just as Americans are questioning how tech companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter use consumers’ data, and what privacy truly means in the digital age. Industry leaders like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey have been called before Congress in recent years to answer for deep privacy concerns with data mining practices.