The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that ZIP codes are considered personal identification information, reports ABA Journal. The Tyler v. Michaels Stores ruling means a class-action lawsuit can proceed, even though identity fraud did not result from the data collection. The plaintiff in the case claims Michaels used ZIP code information to obtain more of her personal information in order to send her marketing materials. Massachusetts law forbids companies from requesting consumers’ personal information during credit card transactions unless it is required for shipping purposes, the report states. The ruling mirrors a California Supreme Court decision.
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