Coinbase urges US Supreme Court to rethink digital privacy doctrine
The post Coinbase urges US Supreme Court to rethink digital privacy doctrine appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. The crypto exchange urged the Court to reconsider the “third-party doctrine” as it applies to digital financial data. While Coinbase is not a direct party to the case, the company has a vested interest in how the Court interprets privacy protections. The Supreme Court is expected to decide later this year whether to hear the case. Coinbase, alongside several states, technology firms, and advocacy groups, is calling on the US Supreme Court to revisit long-standing digital privacy standards that critics say no longer reflect the realities of the internet age. In an amicus brief filed Wednesday in Harper v. O’Donnell, the crypto exchange urged the Court to reconsider the “third-party doctrine” as it applies to digital financial data. In 2020, James Harper, a Coinbase user, filed a lawsuit against the IRS, alleging the agency unlawfully obtained information that revealed his identity as a cryptocurrency holder. Challenge to decades-old legal standard The third-party doctrine—established through rulings in the 1970s—holds that individuals forfeit their expectation of privacy over data shared with third parties, such as banks or phone companies. Coinbase argues that this principle, when applied to blockchain and digital assets, grants government agencies sweeping surveillance capabilities without the judicial oversight typically required for such intrusions. While Coinbase is not a direct party to the case, the company has a vested interest in how the Court interprets privacy protections in the context of financial data stored or processed on its platform. IRS use of broad summons under scrutiny The case centers on the Internal Revenue Service’s use of a “John Doe” summons, which allows investigators to compel third parties to disclose data on unnamed individuals. In 2016, the IRS served such a summons on Coinbase, requesting user data on more than 14,000 customers as part of an effort to identify individuals potentially…
The post Coinbase urges US Supreme Court to rethink digital privacy doctrine appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
The crypto exchange urged the Court to reconsider the “third-party doctrine” as it applies to digital financial data. While Coinbase is not a direct party to the case, the company has a vested interest in how the Court interprets privacy protections. The Supreme Court is expected to decide later this year whether to hear the case. Coinbase, alongside several states, technology firms, and advocacy groups, is calling on the US Supreme Court to revisit long-standing digital privacy standards that critics say no longer reflect the realities of the internet age. In an amicus brief filed Wednesday in Harper v. O’Donnell, the crypto exchange urged the Court to reconsider the “third-party doctrine” as it applies to digital financial data. In 2020, James Harper, a Coinbase user, filed a lawsuit against the IRS, alleging the agency unlawfully obtained information that revealed his identity as a cryptocurrency holder. Challenge to decades-old legal standard The third-party doctrine—established through rulings in the 1970s—holds that individuals forfeit their expectation of privacy over data shared with third parties, such as banks or phone companies. Coinbase argues that this principle, when applied to blockchain and digital assets, grants government agencies sweeping surveillance capabilities without the judicial oversight typically required for such intrusions. While Coinbase is not a direct party to the case, the company has a vested interest in how the Court interprets privacy protections in the context of financial data stored or processed on its platform. IRS use of broad summons under scrutiny The case centers on the Internal Revenue Service’s use of a “John Doe” summons, which allows investigators to compel third parties to disclose data on unnamed individuals. In 2016, the IRS served such a summons on Coinbase, requesting user data on more than 14,000 customers as part of an effort to identify individuals potentially…
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