US senator says privacy bill draft could come early next year

A magnifying glass is held in front of a computer screen in this picture illustration taken in Berlin May 21, 2013. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski/File Photo

WASHINGTON: A much-anticipated bill that may give the US government the ability to collect civil penalties if a company misuses consumer data on the Internet or allows it to be stolen could be drafted early next year, a lawmaker said on Nov 27.

A subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee discussed elements of the bill on Tuesday, including the possibility that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) could be given the authority as enforcer to oversee telecommunications companies and non-profits, exact civil penalties and create regulations.