1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

I urge you to support legislation requiring large technology companies to share a portion of the revenue they generate from Americans’ personal data. Today, some of the wealthiest corporations in history profit from the information, attention, creativity, and daily activities of millions of Americans. Researchers, policymakers, and organizations across the political spectrum have recognized that user data creates substantial economic value and have proposed “data dividends” as a way to ensure ordinary citizens share in the benefits. (The Data Dividends Initiative) My concern is about more than money. It is about responsibility. Many technology companies have grown so large that they increasingly view people as data points rather than citizens. Their platforms shape our communities, culture, economy, and democracy, yet the people who make those systems valuable are often treated as resources to be extracted rather than stakeholders to be respected. A data dividend would help restore accountability. It would force companies to recognize that behind every data point is a human being whose actions, choices, and contributions helped generate their profits. The American people should not be ignored, mined for value, and left out of the prosperity they help create. Corporations benefit from the stability, infrastructure, and freedoms that America provides. In return, they have a responsibility to ensure that the wealth generated from Americans flows back to Americans—not only to executives and shareholders. I hope you will support legislation that puts people back at the center of the digital economy and ensures that technological progress benefits the many, not just the few.