Court of Appeals · February 19, 2026 · 45 NY3d 677
Matter of Russell v Town of Mount Pleasant
Read the official decision: 45 NY3d 677
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Holding The Town properly denied the FOIL request because the privacy interests in keeping subscriber names and email addresses confidential outweighed any public interest in disclosure. The court determined that disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy due to significant cybersecurity risks and the lack of public benefit.
The court’s words
The Town established that the privacy interests in keeping the information confidential are weighty, and that disclosure of the requested records would serve no public interest.
45 NY3d 677, at the official text
The balancing of the interests at issue here lands squarely in favor of the subscribers’ privacy interests.
45 NY3d 677, at the official text
The Town’s assertions regarding the potential risks to E-news subscribers whose names and email addresses are disclosed were not speculative.
45 NY3d 677, at the official text
| Court | Court of Appeals |
|---|---|
| Decided | February 19, 2026 |
| Citation | 45 NY3d 677 |
| Area of law | Freedom of Information Law |
| Week | Week ending February 21, 2026 |
| Official text | Official decision: 45 NY3d 677 |
| Source feed | New York advance sheet: 26nyadv38.pdf |
| Law Watch record id | 100 |
| Caption in the source feed | RUSSELL v TOWN |
Recommended citation
ESQ HQ, New York Law Watch, Matter of Russell v Town of Mount Pleasant, 45 NY3d 677 (Court of Appeals, February 19, 2026), https://esqhq.com/decisions/45-ny3d-677/
How this record was made
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