Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court has again rejected broad privacy rights for some government workers. A unanimous bench on Wednesday affirmed the government's right to conduct personal background checks on current and prospective employees under federal contract, especially those in sensitive or high-security workplaces. The ruling rejected a lawsuit by 28 long-term scientists, engineers, and others at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Pasadena, California. The workers, who are independent contractors, claim the mandatory checks are overly intrusive -- permitting the government to obtain information on their health, finances, personal habits, and even their sex lives. All were classified as "low risk," unlikely to have a major "adverse impact" on the agency's mission.
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The high court affirms personal background checks by the government
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The ruling applies to current and prospective employees under government contract
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The lawsuit was filed by scientists, engineers and others at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
After some @placeholder workers complained, the lab posted a "suitability matrix" on its Web site, listing criteria it believed NASA would consider when deciding suitability for future and continued employment.