The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in FCC v. AT&T, a case that raises the issue of whether corporations have “personhood” in the sense that they have a reasonable expectation of privacy that individuals enjoy. The specific issue before the court is whether exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act that apply to individuals’…
Category: Court
SCOTUS: Employee background checks do not violate right to informational privacy – NASA v. Nelson
The Supreme Court has issued its opinion in National Aeronautics and Space Administration v. Nelson, a workplace privacy case involving background checks (previous coverage). Employees had argued that forms used by NASA violated their constitutional right to informational privacy. The court found for the government, holding that the background check questions at issue were reasonable…
Judge in Bey trial says ‘Orwellian’ surveillance not a privacy violation
Thomas Peele reports: OAKLAND — George Orwell might have called it “Big Brother-ish,” a judge noted Tuesday, but he ruled that evidence from an electronic device that police planted on Yusuf Bey IV’s car can be used in his triple murder trial. […] “This all comes down to whether a person has an expectation of…
Work E-Mail Not Protected by Attorney-Client Privilege, Court Says
David Kravets writes: E-mails between a client and attorney are no longer considered privileged and confidential if the client writes the messages from a work e-mail account, a California court of appeals has ruled. The 3-0 decision Thursday by the Sacramento Third Appellate District means that if you intend to sue your employer, don’t discuss the suit…