Federal judge in Seattle declined to issue emergency stay of Jan....
Federal judge in Seattle declined to issue emergency stay of Jan. 1 effective date for new telecom consumer privacy rules adopted last month by Wash. state regulators. Judge Barbara Rothstein of U.S. Dist. Court, Seattle, rejected Verizon request for…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
emergency injunction suspending new rules. She said Verizon failed to show rules would cause immediate and irreparable harm if they went into effect. Wash. Utilities & Transportation Commission (WUTC) privacy rules establish “opt-in” approach to privacy of sensitive customer account information such as call detail records, meaning such information can’t be released to any other party without customer’s prior consent. That is in contrast to FCC’s opt-out approach, where such information can be released unless customer specifically forbids it. Verizon sued in federal court, saying state’s rule was unconstitutional infringement on its commercial free speech rights that unlawfully impaired its ability to communicate with its customers and its affiliates. Verizon contended new rule would cripple its ability to assess customer needs and develop new products and services and force it to make numerous unsolicited contacts with users in order to obtain their permission to consult account information. However, WUTC countered that Verizon “generally overstates and misrepresents” effects of new rules.