Online discussion is dominated by people who are only ever in one of the above groups and wants the law to completely and totally favor them at the expense of the others. I don't think this jaywalking thing is a big deal or that much changes with/without a law.
I'm only familiar with San Fransisco, but the speed difference between a car in San Fransisco and a human is often pretty slight. Bicycles are usually the highest speed object.
This means there is no criminal record or court/jail time. It’s a ticket just like a parking or speeding ticket. I find it hard to believe people believe we should be allowed to just hang out in the street. It’s there for general safety of everyone. Could we adjust the rule to account for situations where no cars are around? Sure. But obviously we can’t have a rule where people are allowed to just cross busy city streets at will anywhere. It would be terrible for overall mobility in the city as well as dangerous.
These articles are just typical internet extremism and conspiracy theories about “Big Something”. It’s a non issue most places.
That's how many many countries operate and it's actually relatively safe.