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Amazon Fights For Privacy of Customer Records
suraj.sun notes a CNET article on Amazon's lawsuit against North Carolina on the grounds that the state is trying to violate the privacy and First Amendment rights of Amazon's customers. "Amazon.com filed a lawsuit on Monday to fend off a sweeping demand from North Carolina's tax collectors: [for] detailed records including names and addresses of customers and information about exactly what they had purchased. ... North Carolina's Department of Revenue had ordered the online retailer to provide full details on nearly 50 million purchases made by state residents between 2003 and 2010. Because Amazon has no offices or warehouses in North Carolina, it's not required to collect the [state's] 5.75 percent sales tax on shipments, although tax collectors have reminded residents that what's known as a use tax applies on anything 'purchased or received' through the mail." Amazon is arguing that the records of what books, music, and videos its customers bought deserve enhanced protection.
You think judges don't know where the money for their yachts and golf carts comes from? You might as well ask for the gavels out of their hands, and their mistresses' and rent boys' phone numbers, while you're at it.
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
Well, good chance for the tea partiers could show us all that they aren't just a bunch of blowhards by fixing their shit locally before trying to fix the country.
No, I didn't think so either.
Dave