Roys Testifies to Protect Wisconsinites From Tech Exploitation

MADISON — Today, Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) testified at a public hearing for two of her bills, in the Senate Committee on Utilities, Technology, and Tourism. Her legislation aims to stop the abuses of Big Tech against Wisconsin’s kids and patients. Details on the legislation and excerpts from her testimony are below:

The S.A.F.E Kids Act (Stop Addictive Feeds Exploiting Kids Act), Senate Bill 758 prohibits social media platforms from creating addictive algorithms to target children, collecting or selling data of minors, or targeting ads to children. Social media is damaging to children’s brains and development, and is linked to increased mental health struggles and addictive tendencies. This legislation is aimed at regulating companies by prohibiting harmful practices, rather than barring kids from social media.

Sen. Roys issued the following statement about this legislation:

“Our state has an obligation to protect Wisconsinites from exploitation. Kids’ mental, physical, and social wellbeing is suffering because of the predatory practices of the Attention Oligarchs. Big tech companies use addictive algorithms to keep kids scrolling, and then monetize their personal, private data by targeting ads to children – profiting off their insecurity and harm. The more time kids spend on these platforms, the more money these companies make.

“For kids, heavy social media use has been linked to depression, anxiety, and isolation – a scary proposition given that adolescence is a time of critical development. The S.A.F.E Kids Act helps parents and kids by putting guardrails on social media companies, requiring them to abide by basic, non-predatory standards.”

Protecting Patients from AI Insurance Denials, Senate Bill 1066 prohibits the use of AI by health insurance companies to deny prior authorization for healthcare. Investigations show that when insurance companies use AI for prior authorization, rather than a physician, patients are sixteen times more likely to be denied.

“Artificial intelligence should not determine whether you get the life-saving surgery you need. A computer shouldn’t prevent you from getting another round of chemo. A robot shouldn’t be able to deny you the drug that will halt the progression of your degenerative illness. Yet that happens to patients every day, as rapacious insurance companies seek to make more money by denying patients care.

“Only a qualified physician should be able to make these determinations – not an AI bot that reviews thousands of cases in seconds without regard for nuance or patient history. These denials are dangerous and increasing; without regulation, more people will go without care they need, exacerbating an already inadequate and profit-driven healthcare system.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.