US Supreme Court weighs applying 1980s video-renter privacy law to digital age
Source: The Star
Published on: 2026-10-15 06:30
WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court heard arguments on Oct 14 on how a 1988 privacy law concerning video rental companies should apply to consumer data in the digital age, a debate which has divided lower courts. The law at issue, the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), was passed by Congress after a list of videos rented by Robert Bork - president Ronald Reagan's ultimately failed nominee to be a Supreme Court justice - was leaked to media during his contentious Senate confirmation process. The list of videos produced no scandalous revelations but raised serious privacy concerns. Known as the "Bork bill," the law specifically protects against the unauthorised sharing of "personally identifiable information" for a "consumer" of videotape service providers. In the case before the Supreme Court, Michael Salazar, a California man who subscribed to a free sports newsletter, argued that his...
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