Michigan has a very specific law to help keep citizens’ personal information protected if that information is provided to rent, borrow, purchase or lease items like movies, magazines and other media. The law is based on the fact that what a person chooses to read, watch, listen or subscribe to isn’t anybody’s business but that person’s.
One man has opted to call out Rolling Stone magazine for violating the Preservation of Personal Privacy Act, which is known as 1988 Video Rental Privacy Act. This comes on the heels of a judge denying Hearst Communications’ appeal to have a similar case dismissed.
The man claims that Rolling Stone magazine’s parent company Wenner Media LLC is willing to sell personal information to anyone who is willing to pay. His lawyers are trying to get this lawsuit into a class action lawsuit because they claim that there have to be hundreds if not thousands of people who were also affected by this common practice.
The man, who has subscribed to the magazine since he was in high school, wants the magazine’s parent company to stop the illegal practice. The same company also owns other magazines, including US Weekly and Men’s Journal.
The lawsuit’s claims also include the fact that the company doesn’t adequately disclose the sale of personal data. It also alleges that subscribers haven’t provided consent for Wenner Media to sell their personal data.
State laws vary from one state to another. When businesses opt to do business in multiple states, they must ensure that they are in compliance of each state’s laws. Failure to do so could mean that the business will have to head to court for cases like this.
Source: WZZM13, “Subscriber has bone to pick with Rolling Stone over selling personal info,” John Hogan, Aug. 02, 2016
