Supreme Court To Decide Privacy of Employee Texts

U.S. Supreme Court this morning decided to hear a case on the privacy of employee text messages sent on employer-provided devices, reports the Washington Post (see below).

The case--City of Ontario v. Quon--could have profound implications on employee privacy rights, according to a Baltimore Sun report. It involves an Ontario, California police officer who sent sexually explicit messages to another officer using the department-issued device. The messages were discovered during an audit, and a lawsuit claiming privacy violations followed. California's Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the sender of the messages, but dissent by a number of judges prompted an appeal to the Supreme Court.

9th Circuit Opinion:
Quon v. Arch Wireless (9th Circuit)

Additional reports:
Washington Post
The Curmudgeon's Comments - City of Ontario v. Quon — USSC
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review