Do Corporations Have Privacy Rights?

The Supreme Court has ruled before that corporations have the same rights as individuals. The question will be before the judges once again in their new term, which begins Monday, as they will hear Federal Communications Commission v. AT&T. The FCC is suing AT&T, which has cited a “personal privacy interest” exemption to the Freedom of Information Act in order to block the FCC from releasing documents pertaining to AT&T’s participation in the federal E-Rate program, which provides internet access to schools. A federal appeals court sided with AT&T before the Obama administration asked the Supreme Court to take up the issue. The newest justice, Elena Kagan, will have to recuse herself from the case, because as solicitor general filed the brief on behalf of the Obama administration.