A Ruling That Eliminates Important Privacy Rights in Many Stored Internet Contents-And The Legal Challenge to It

The California Court of Appeal's ruling in Snap, Inc. v. Superior Court (Pina) concluded that the SCA's privacy protections do not extend to messages stored on platforms where providers have access rights for business purposes.

In this case, the court emphasized that the Stored Communications Act's protections hinge on whether companies have the right to access user data for operational needs, potentially undermining long-held privacy assumptions.

Adrian Pina, the accused in a murder case, leverages the legal system by subpoenaing personal communications from social media platforms to gather evidence for defense against charges stemming from his brother's death.

The ruling raises significant questions about user privacy, as it suggests companies may disclose messages if they can assert business-related access rights, challenging the concept of secure storage implied by Section 2702.

Read at Reason.com