Key Senate Democrats Want Criminal Penalties in Privacy Law

A group of top Senate Democrats said on Monday that any federal privacy legislation should include the possibility that violators will face criminal penalties or consumer lawsuits.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and top Democrats on relevant committees issued a set of privacy principles -- rather than legislative text -- that reiterated proposals that Republicans have rejected.

“I applaud my colleagues for their great work and am proud to support these strong principles,” Schumer said in a statement.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been calling for laws to tackle data use, but the pushes have produced little ...