The Democrat says a software company has failed to address concerns about what information it's collecting from mobile phone users and how it's using that data.

Sen. Al Franken wants Facebook to be more upfront about its facial recognition technology and how it plans to use it. Franken grilled a company executive at a Capitol Hill hearing. Facebook has an estimated 60 billion pictures of people, the world's largest photo database.

Sen. Al Franken says he is co-sponsoring a low-income energy assistance bill to help families pay their utility costs. Franken says funding has dropped despite high demand, adding he expects the measure to pass since both Republicans and Democrats get cold.

Current cell phone contracts often prohibit users from filing lawsuits. That means anyone with a complaint can only settle it through arbitration. Democratic Sens. Al Franken and Richard Blumenthal say that doesn't always give cell phone users enough protection.

Al Franken has connections in both Hollywood and Silicon Valley, which makes the issue of how to protect intellectual property online a thorny one for him. That comes across in his recent message to supporters on the topic.

Financial disclosures released by Minnesota's members of Congress show Republican U.S. Reps. Michele Bachmann and Chip Cravaack, as well as Democratic Sen. Al Franken, are all worth more than $1 million. The trio is not alone: A 2011 study by a Washington, D.C.-based research group found nearly half the members of Congress are millionaires.

In a statement, Franken said a merger of the cell phone giants would have resulted in "higher cell phone bills for Minnesotans, greatly reduced competition, the potential loss of thousands of jobs, and less innovation in technology."

Minnesota-native Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal traveled to Capitol Hil to meet with Sens. Al Franken and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania to express their gratitude. Franken was a vocal advocate for the hikers since their arrest in 2009.