Forum
U.S. Supreme Court
Case Status
Decided
Docket Number
09-1279
Term
2010 Term
Oral Argument Date
January 19, 2011
Lower Court Opinion
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Questions Presented
Whether Freedom of Information Act Exemption 7(c)’s protection for “personal privacy” protects the “privacy” of corporate entities.
Case Updates
U.S. Supreme Court clarifies scope of “personal privacy” exemption in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
March 01, 2011
The Supreme Court held that corporations do not have “personal privacy” for the purposes of Exemption 7(C) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
U.S. Chamber files amicus brief
December 16, 2010
The U.S. Chamber urged the U.S. Supreme Court to hold that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) erred when it held that a corporation lacked the personal privacy protected by Exemption 7(C) of the Freedom of Information Act. In this case, a trade association sought highly sensitive and confidential information produced by AT&T during an investigation by the FCC. In its brief, NCLC argued that the FCC's interpretation of Exemption 7(C) ignores Supreme Court precedent and disregards congressional intent. NCLC warned that the FCC interpretation discourages companies from cooperating during federal investigations.