Democratic Gov. Tony Evers did not respond to a request for comment on the bill, though he has signed a bill ensuring greater data security into law.
Bill author Rep. Shannon Zimmerman, R- River Falls, said Wednesday that the bill, AB 957, would combat Big Tech and other large companies' ability to use consumers' personal information for their gain.
"It is reasonable for Wisconsin residents to have the expectation that that data is private, that you cannot and should not just be randomly shared or sold to the highest bidder," said Zimmerman, who has spent decades working in the technology sector.
The proposal comes as 79% of Americans report concern regarding how companies use their data and about 60% of American adults say they don't think it's possible to go through daily life without having data collected about them, according to the Pew Research Center.
Zimmerman said he's hopeful the bill will receive a floor vote before the session ends. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R- Rochester, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Under the bill, consumers would be able to confirm whether data collectors and processers are harvesting their data. Consumers would also be able to correct errors, require processors to delete their personal data, obtain a copy of processed personal data, opt out of the processing of their data for targeted advertising and prohibit processers from selling their data.
The bill would apply to businesses that control or process at least 100,000 consumers' personal data or that control or process at least 25,000 consumers' personal data and derive over half of their gross revenue from selling that data.
Several retail organizations, including Kwik Trip, the Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association, the Wisconsin Grocers Association and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce oppose the bill, with the latter advocating for federal regulation, not state-by-state. Zimmerman said Wednesday that some companies also said it would be overly burdensome to comply with the regulations.
The Microsoft Corporation as well as libertarian political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity are lobbying in support of the bill.
The bill would put the attorney general in charge of prosecuting data collectors and processors that violate consumer demands, with up to a $7,500 fine per violation if the violators do not resolve the issue within 30 days of receiving written notice from the attorney general.
Enforcing violations would require seven full-time-equivalent staff and other costs at a nearly $950,000 estimated annualized cost to the state, the state Justice Department said in a fiscal estimate.
© 2022 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
