Two reasons: Firstly, Data is supposed to be a character on TV, and we can’t empathize with computers. The in-universe reason is that Data was designed to be,

Two reasons: Firstly, Data is supposed to be a character on TV, and we can’t empathize with computers. The in-universe reason is that Data was designed to be, as much as possible, an artificial human, and not a robot merely functioning in human society.