Appeals court strikes down West Virginia law on officials’ personal data
Original title: Court strikes down West Virginia law barring disclosure of public officials’ personal data
The Fourth Circuit voided the statute itself, not only the suit against people-search sites, citing content-based speech limits.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld an August 2025 ruling that West Virginia’s version of Daniel’s Law is unconstitutional. The panel said the law restricts speech by topic and exposes data brokers to liability too broadly, including without a prior-notice requirement. A retired officer and others had sued WhitePages, Thomson Reuters, LexisNexis and PeopleConnect in mid-2024. Clark Hill said the outcome could affect New Jersey litigation and how other states draft similar laws.
Unconfirmed: Whether the ruling changes pending New Jersey Daniel’s Law cases is not decided.
- The law covered judicial officers, prosecutors, public defenders and law-enforcement officers.
- It allowed suits of up to $1,000 per violation plus punitive damages.
- Unlike many state versions, it did not require officials to notify businesses first.
- The statutes followed the 2020 killing of a New Jersey federal judge’s son.
- Countries
- United States
From the original article
2 min read at therecord.mediaA federal appellate court panel said West Virginia's version of Daniel's Law — meant to shield the personal data of police and other officials — is unconstitutional.
therecord.media
A short excerpt; the article and its images belong to the publisher. Summary, key facts and assessment above are AI-written from the article and can be wrong.