SCOTUS To Decide If Violation Of Statutorily-Created Right Creates Standing

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether federal courts can hear what a Virginia man says should be a class action claiming the people-search database Spokeo published false information about him. The plaintiff contends Spokeo violated a provision of the Fair Credit Reporting Act that limits when consumer reporting agencies may provide reports for employment purposes. At issue, according to Spokeo is whether Congress can confer Article II standing on a plaintiff by authorizing a private lawsuit for “bare violation of a federal statute,” even when a plaintiff suffers no concrete harm.