But if it was illegal to pay a ransom, the frequency of the crime would go down.
More likely the _reporting_ of the crime would go down. This hurts everyone
But it would still happen. With this policy idea you are doubling the amount of criminals.
I guess it depends on the nature of the personal info. By this point a significant portion of the population's basic personal info is already out there. If we're talking detailed medical records, then sure, I might say "pay". But if it's names & SS#, I don't know.