Hacker News with Generative AI: Consumer Advocacy

Human judgment must remain central to health insurance claims: California law (mercurynews.com)
Last year, about a quarter of all health insurance claims were denied in California — a reality mirrored nationwide that has stoked public anger toward health care companies, and led to accusations that such decisions lack human empathy.

Health Insurance, California Law, Healthcare, Consumer Advocacy

62 points by bentocorp 12 days ago | 37 comments

AT&T won't upgrade millions of DSL users to fiber despite billions in subsidies (techdirt.com)
Four years years ago AT&T, a company that, for years, cheapened out on upgrading its broadband lines to fiber, effectively stopped selling DSL. While that’s understandable given the limitations of the dated copper-based tech, the problem is that thanks to concentrated telecom monopolization, many of these customers were left without any replacement options due to a lack of competition.

Telecommunications, Internet Access, Consumer Advocacy, Technology, Business

108 points by hn_acker 36 days ago | 92 comments

Cable ISPs compare data caps to food menus: Don't make us offer unlimited soup (arstechnica.com)
Cable broadband companies continue to insist that data caps are good for people with low incomes, pushing back against comments filed by consumer advocacy groups.

Internet, Consumer Advocacy, Broadband, Data Caps, Regulation

5 points by hn_acker 38 days ago | 2 comments

Asleep at the Wheel in the Headlight Brightness Wars (theringer.com)
The crusade against bright headlights has picked up speed in recent years, in large part due to a couple of Reddit nerds. Could they know what’s best for the auto industry better than the auto industry itself?

Automotive, Technology, Consumer Advocacy

13 points by Syonyk 43 days ago | 5 comments

US Copyright Office "frees the McFlurry," allowing repair of ice cream machines (arstechnica.com)
Consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge today hailed a decision by the US Copyright Office to "grant an exemption specifically allowing for repair of retail-level food preparation equipment—including soft serve ice cream machines similar to those available at McDonald's."

Copyright Law, Repair, Consumer Advocacy, Food Industry

40 points by impish9208 84 days ago | 4 comments

Please ban data caps, Internet users tell FCC (arstechnica.com)
It's been just a week since US telecom regulators announced a formal inquiry into broadband data caps, and the docket is filling up with comments from users who say they shouldn't have to pay overage charges for using their Internet service.

Internet, Regulation, Consumer Advocacy, Telecommunications

85 points by thimabi 86 days ago | 43 comments

What Ticketmaster doesn't want you to know: tickets were cheaper for decades (youtube.com)

Ticketmaster, Pricing, History, Consumer Advocacy, Entertainment

71 points by jimnotgym 98 days ago | 42 comments

Car brands are collecting and sharing your data with third parties (abc.net.au)
Popular car brands are collecting and sharing driver data from braking patterns and odometer readings to vehicle location and voice recognition information, consumer advocacy group Choice has found.