Madison Square Garden Entertainment has sued Wired and reporter Noah Shachtman over a report alleging that the company kept a database identifying LGBTQIA celebrities. MSG says the reporting falsely portrayed information obtained from stolen data as evidence of discrimination, while Wired says its reporting was accurate and that it will fight the lawsuit; the dispute raises wider questions about corporate data practices, surveillance and press freedom.

MSG, controlled by James Dolan, operates Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre and the Chicago Theatre. The company says the LGBTQIA information was used for inclusion-related invitations, commercial opportunities, charitable donations and community outreach, whereas Shachtman argues the lawsuit confirms that sexual orientation was tracked; MSG has also faced previous scrutiny over facial-recognition technology and its use at venues.