State Attorneys General Join the Fight
In a rare bipartisan show of force, attorneys general from 30 states and Washington, D.C., filed briefs supporting Briskin. Their argument? That states must be able to enforce their consumer protection laws when companies actively engage with their residents through the internet. In their view, the digital marketplace doesn’t grant immunity from local laws—it demands accountability.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce took Shopify’s side, cautioning that the decision could spell trouble for back-end tech service providers whose software is used worldwide. The Chamber warned that a sweeping interpretation of jurisdiction could entangle companies in lawsuits anywhere their code happens to run—regardless of intent.
Ripple Effects Beyond Shopify
The Shopify data privacy lawsuit is more than a legal spat over cookies—it’s a flashpoint in the broader debate over digital privacy, platform responsibility, and the jurisdictional limits of U.S. law in a borderless internet economy.
The ruling from the 9th Circuit—which covers nine western states, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands—may serve as a legal compass for other courts grappling with similar issues. As the digital age blurs geographical lines, the judiciary now faces the daunting task of defining the rules of engagement for online conduct.
With Shopify yet to publicly respond and the case headed back to lower courts, what began as a routine online purchase could end up reshaping the legal playbook for global e-commerce platforms.
