A California court ruled last week that retailers could lawfully collect ZIP code information to reduce credit card fraud, efforts that result in lower prices for consumers. Following the California Supreme Court’s decision...more
Another class action suit has been filed in Massachusetts in the zip code wars. This time, the target is instrument retailer Guitar Center for allegedly requesting customers to provide their zip codes when making purchases...more
Earlier this month, we reported on the privacy case against craft giant Michaels Stores in which the plaintiff alleged that Michaels illegally collected zip codes during credit card transactions. The case was ultimately...more
In a recent decision, Tyler v. Michaels Stores, Inc., the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that zip codes are “personal identification information” and that a merchant asking for that information during a credit card...more
In a recent ruling arising from certain certified questions in Tyler v. Michaels Stores, Inc., Civ. No. 11-10920-WGY (D. Mass. Jan. 6, 2012, the Massachusetts Supreme Court interpreted “personal identification information”...more
Earlier this month, the Massachusetts Supreme Court issued an opinion holding that zip codes “may well qualify” as personally identifiable information under the Massachusetts law controlling the treatment of PII in credit...more
In a decision last week, the Massachusetts Supreme Court held that zip codes are personally identifiable information, perhaps serving as a harbinger for other state court decisions still yet to come. This ruling is important...more
The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts recently held that collecting a consumer's ZIP code at the point of sale may violate Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93, Section 105(a) (Section 105(a)), which restricts the...more
Already home to one of the toughest data protection laws in the country, Massachusetts now joins California in having expansive protections for data exchanged during a credit card transaction....more
“May I have your zip code?” is an all-too-familiar question that may be going the way of the dinosaur in Massachusetts. Many retailers commonly ask customers for their zip codes when processing credit card transactions at,...more