California Governor Proposes Digital Dividend Aimed At Big Tech

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a 'digital dividend' that would let consumers share in the billions of dollars made by technology companies in the most populous U.S. state. In his 'State of the State' speech on Tuesday, Newsom said California is proud to be home to tech firms. But he said companies that make billions of dollars 'collecting, curating and monetizing our personal data have a duty to protect it. Consumers have a right to know and control how their data is being used.' He went further by suggesting the companies share some of those profits, joining other politicians calling for higher levies on the wealthy in U.S. society. 'California's consumers should also be able to share in the wealth that is created from their data,' Newsom said. 'And so I've asked my team to develop a proposal for a new data dividend for Californians, because we recognize that data has value and it belongs to you.' Newsom didn't describe what form the dividend might take, although he said 'we can do something bold in this space.' He also praised a tough California data-privacy law that will kick in next year.

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