The Illinois Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that one of the nation’s toughest anti-eavesdropping laws is unconstitutional, the Associated Press reports. The 1961 Illinois Eavesdropping Act made it a felony to record a conversation without the consent of all parties involved, but the court ruled the law violates free speech and protections for due process. In People v. Melongo, the court concluded the law’s recording provision “burdens substantially more speech than is necessary to serve a legitimate state interest in protecting conversational privacy.” The justices also wrote, “the statute’s scope is simply too broad.” In a separate case, the Ninth Circuit reinstated a class-action lawsuit against Hilton Worldwide, where the plaintiffs argue the company violated California privacy law by recording service calls.
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