Consumer Privacy Rules Blocked in Washington
In a case that pits privacy against free speech, a Seattle federal judge has permanently blocked state regulators from enforcing rules intended to safeguard call-detail information for more than 700,000 Verizon customers in Washington. The case, brought by Verizon, challenged the privacy rules implemented by the state of Washington that required the company to get permission from customers before it used call-detail information for marketing purposes.In the decision, U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein ruled the regulations could be more narrowly tailored and thus run afoul of Verizon's First Amendment rights to communicate with its customers.
Verizon wins fight over use of data: Court blocks privacy rules The Seattle Times, August 27, 2003
