June 28, 2010

ACLU Intervenes in Amazon Privacy Dispute

by Karen Sloan
The National Law Journal

Two lawyers and a law student were among seven plaintiffs who filed suit on Wednesday to block the North Carolina Department of Revenue from collecting detailed information about purchases state residents made through online retailer Amazon.com Inc.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the complaint on their behalf in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and applied to intervene in a pending federal suit between Amazon and the state.

"We're surprised and disappointed that it has become necessary to intervene in this lawsuit," said Jennifer Rudinger, executive director of the ACLU of North Carolina. "We feel the need to step in here and protect customers' privacy and First Amendment rights."

The complaint stems from the state's attempts to collect sales tax on items sold online. The ACLU's complaint alleges that the sales information the state has requested infringed the privacy of buyers by disclosing their names and detailed information about what they purchased.

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