Court Withdraws Ruling in Web Privacy Case
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has withdrawn its January opinion on a privacy rights case that prosecutors had said would hamper Internet crime investigations.
In a rare order filed Tuesday, a 9th Circuit panel said it would render a new opinion for Konop vs. Hawaiian Airlines at an unspecified date. The appellate court withdraws fewer than 1% of its opinions, according to its chief clerk.
The panel had ruled that the airline’s unauthorized entry into a pilot’s own Web site violated federal wiretapping laws. That opinion was lauded by privacy rights advocates but caused an uproar among state and federal prosecutors, who asked the 9th Circuit to reconsider.
