CLARKSBURG — A Fairmont man is suing CNN after he claims the news network slandered him and violated his privacy.
John Kenneth Spears claims his privacy was violated by phone tapping, internet monitoring and by watching his activities in public, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.
Spears claims the data about has been collected over a long period of time and he claims CNN participated in the invasion of privacy.
“The outcome of monitoring to such a large degree doesn’t stop at the act, what makes it worse of a situation is how it is spread to individuals,” Spears said in the complaint.
Spears claims the monitoring on his computer has caused him to not obtain jobs fairly.
Spears claims he is a public image known to many people and is well known among his community and throughout other states.
Illegal measures that violated Spears’s constitutional rights have occurred and caused Spears harm, according to the suit.
Spears claims there are many types of products being created from the invasion of privacy that has occurred, including movies, television shows and other publishings.
Spears claims the illegal monitoring began sometime in 2010 and continues to the present day.
The unconstitutional and unlawful conduct Spears claims CNN enacted upon him includes unwanted and unreasonable publicity, malicious harassment, negligence, intrusion and appropriation of name and likeness, according to the suit.
Spears claims CNN failed to properly implement and maintain policies and procedures related to news media coverage.
Spears is seeking damages in the amount of $1.4 million.
Spears also filed a request for records from CNN pursuant to the Public Records Act.
CNN did not respond to a request for comment.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia Case number: 1:18-cv-00162
