Posted on 05/31/2013 3:37:30 PM PDT by Nachum
A new lawsuit in Manhattan pitting the U.S. Department of Justice against Google offers a rare glimpse of how determined prosecutors are to defend a process that allows federal agents to gain warrantless access to user records, and how committed the Mountain View, Calif., company is to defending its customers' privacy rights against what it views as illegal requests.
The Justice Department's lawsuit, filed April 22 and not disclosed until this article, was sparked by Google's decision to rebuff the FBI's legal demands for confidential user data. It centers on the bureau's controversial use of so-called National Security Letters (NSL), a secret electronic data-gathering technique that does not need a judge's approval and recently was declared unconstitutional in an unrelated court case.
U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan has been assigned the New York case, which has taken place under seal, but as of last week has not made a final ruling. A law clerk for Sullivan did not immediately respond to queries from CNET this morning.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.cnet.com ...
The list, Ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
I would like to see loser pays on these prosecutorial intimidation efforts. If the state loses then prosecutions pays. Prosecutors with too many frivolous suits forfeit their pensions. (also year limits for prosecutors)
Too late.... http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/31/judge-orders-google-to-comply-with-fbi-national-security-investigation/
Yeah, they want to sell that information to the highest bidder, and it's not worth much if DoJ can simply demand it for free.
Hope and Change?
So much for Holder’s vaunted free speech commitments.
Holder was very sorry... he got caught.
Google is really stupid if they comply with this... Users won’t trust them in the future. They need to take a stand.
...offers a rare glimpse of how determined prosecutors are to defend a process that allows federal agents to gain warrantless access to user records, and how committed the Mountain View, Calif., company is to defending its customers' privacy rights against what it views as illegal requests... the bureau's controversial use of so-called National Security Letters (NSL), a secret electronic data-gathering technique that does not need a judge's approval and recently was declared unconstitutional in an unrelated court case.for 'controversial' read 'illegal' or 'unconstitutional'. But remember -- Holder is the modern version of Moses the Lawgiver.
Google should send them a CD with an blank password encrypted .txt file.
Google HAS to fight this. Their business model relies on collecting User data. Handing that over to the “authorities” will damage that business model.
Who knows? We may see the end result a truly “anonymous internet model” arise from cr*p like this.
Just don’t do it.
I thought google was one of this administration’s sacred cows and untouchable.
my observation is,
people who use Google
are not especially bright
DON’T DO IT!!!
i don’t use google, but I’m sure they have all our posts here copied.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
