Facebook loses appeal to block bulk search warrants

New York

NEW York state's highest court dealt a blow to Facebook and other social media companies seeking to expand privacy protections on Tuesday, ruling that Facebook had no right to ask an appellate court to quash search warrants ordering the company to hand over information from hundreds of accounts in a disability fraud case.

The state Court of Appeals, in a 5-1 decision, with one judge recusing himself, upheld lower court rulings that New York law does not allow a social media company to appeal a judge's decision to issue search warrants in a criminal case even if the company believes those warrants violate the constitutional rights of its users.