In 1988, Congress enacted a law to protect the privacy of video rentals after a journalist published details of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork’s movie rental history during his Senate hearings. Nearly four decades later, the court is weighing how the Blockbuster-era statute fits into the modern age of digital commerce.
The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a case exploring the extent to which companies from an array of sectors are obligated to protect the privacy of customers’ video-viewing data. A ruling could resolve a lower-court split over how a consumer qualifies for the law's protections.
