Supreme Court to decide if video-rental privacy law applies to online tracking
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case that tests whether the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act covers data collected from internet services.
A lawsuit filed by Michael Salazar against Paramount Global alleges that a 247Sports.com newsletter collected his video-viewing data and used it for targeted advertising without consent. Salazar contends that, as a subscriber, he is a “consumer” protected by the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act, a law enacted after the failed nomination of Robert Bork. Paramount argues the newsletter does not constitute “audio visual materials,” and both a Tennessee federal judge and the 6th District U.S. Court of Appeals upheld that view.
Salazar has now petitioned the Supreme Court to interpret the VPPA’s consumer definition. The Court’s decision could determine whether the statute extends to modern internet-based services, potentially affecting privacy rights and liability for data tracking.
Why it matters
The ruling could reshape privacy protections for online consumers under a decades-old law.
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