01/23, 12:50pm
Supreme Court demands warrants on GPS searches
The US Supreme Court in a ruling (PDF) has decided that warrantless use of GPS to track suspects is illegal. A unanimous vote determined that attaching a GPS unit to a car or otherwise tracking suspects by GPS without consent would violate the Fourth Amendment's blocks against unreasonable search and seizure. Justices were split evenly as to why, arguing equally that attaching a tracking device by itself and the violations of privacy expectations were at fault.
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08/25, 3:20pm
Customers forced to use arbitration for disputes
The Third US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled late Wednesday that Verizon Wireless customers must use arbitration to resolve disputes over alleged fraudulently made telephone calls rather than resort to class action. In ruling this way, the court reversed itself on a decision it had made last year in favor of the customers. The court cited a recent Supreme Court decision as the basis for its shift in attitude.
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06/27, 10:40am
Supreme Court says games backed by 1st Amendment
The US Supreme Court determined in a ruling (below) that video games were protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. It struck down a California law that banned renting or selling games to those under 18. Judge Scalia and four supporting judges determined that games, like books, movies, and plays, get a message across through "fammiliar literary devices" and can't be censored solely because it contained violence.
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03/21, 4:40pm
Solicitor General files amicus brief
Although the Supreme Court has yet to hear formal arguments in the patent infringement dispute between Microsoft and Canadian developer i4i, the government appears to be supporting earlier rulings against the Redmond-based software giant. Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal has filed an amicus brief that backs the lower court's decision.
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03/01, 6:25pm
Supreme Court overrules AT&T privacy rights
The Supreme Court has ruled on Tuesday that AT&T and other corporations will be required to disclose federal government records. The ruling was unanimous and overturned a ruling by a US appeals court in favor of AT&T, according to reports. The court agrees with the Obama administration's stance that personal privacy exemption under the Freedom of Information law applied to individuals and not corporations.
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01/21, 3:55pm
Court Rebuffs Porn Law
The US Supreme Court today rejected an appeal by the Justice Department to uphold the Communications Decency Act. The law, first put into place in 1998, was intended to force adult-oriented sites to use logins or payment to prevent unintentionally exposing children to sexual material. The Supreme Court has ruled the law unconstitutional for violating free speech rights by dictating too broadly how site owners present their content.
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