Wyden Bill Would Jail CEOs for Privacy Violation

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has introduced legislation that would mandate jail time for corporate CEOs whose companies misuse the personal data of their users and lie to the government when caught. “Mark Zuckerberg won’t take Americans’ privacy seriously unless he feels personal consequences,” Wyden remarked. “A slap on the wrist from the FTC won’t do the job, so under my bill he’d face jail time for lying to the government.” Earlier this year, the FTC fined Facebook $5 billion for abusing users’ privacy, a sanction many observers deemed insufficient.

The Mind Your Own Business Act also would give Americans “an easy, one-click way to stop companies from selling or sharing their personal information” and grant consumers the right to see how companies use and share their data.