Police get search warrant for everyone who Googled a name

[13Gigatons]

Police want broad identifying information to help catch a thief who swindled $28,500.

In addition to basic contact information for people targeted by the warrant, Google is being asked to provide Edina police with their Social Security numbers, account and payment information, and IP (internet protocol) and MAC (media access control) addresses.

What was the judge thinking?

http://www.startribune.com/search-w...privacy-concerns-of-internet-users/416442113/

 

[bob4432]

DAMN, that is one crazy article. Hopefully Google will stand by what they say and take it as far up the courts that is needed, they have the $$$. I found this part of the article to be a bit frightening:

Google says it receives an increasing number of data requests from governments and courts every year. In the first half of 2016, Google received more than 14,000 requests from the U.S. alone and provided information for 79 percent of them.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

What was the judge thinking?

Issued by Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson....

The judge was thinking that this is the Far Side.

 

[MtnMan]

MAC address? Good luck with that.....

 

[Red Squirrel]

And this is why this surveillance state is bad. People say "I have nothing to hide". You don't know that. Police/government can just randomly come up with something like this and go back in history. you have nothing to hide, until something you did in the past is suddenly of interest to the government or in this case, police.

 

[Exterous]

Just Google? So I guess if the thief uses bing they're in the clear

 

[pmv]

The article linked to says the police tried other search engines and found only Google actually turned up the photo that the alleged crime involved. One wonders whether they tried _every_ possible search engine, but I would assume they already discounted Bing.

 

[skull]

DAMN, that is one crazy article. Hopefully Google will stand by what they say and take it as far up the courts that is needed, they have the $$$. I found this part of the article to be a bit frightening:

While I don't like it. I thought it was known long ago that searching for stuff like a recipe for meth on your home computer was a bad idea.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Then I'm in loads of trouble. I've googled so many things just out of curiosity. Oh wait, apparently knowledge is going to be illegal soon. But don't worry, you've got nothing to hide right? You're all upstanding perfect examples of human beings I am sure. You probably only google kitten pictures and how to knit your own socks.

People REALLY need to start thinking hard about this stuff. The future is a police state. There aren't more 'bad' people in the world these days, the information is just more readily available than ever before and bad things happening that you would never even have known about 30 years ago makes the internet in minutes. It has caused a bunch of paranoia that we need to protect things and people begin to look to the government to do the protecting.

 

[skull]

Then I'm in loads of trouble. I've googled so many things just out of curiosity. Oh wait, apparently knowledge is going to be illegal soon. But don't worry, you've got nothing to hide right? You're all upstanding perfect examples of human beings I am sure. You probably only google kitten pictures and how to knit your own socks.

People REALLY need to start thinking hard about this stuff. The future is a police state. There aren't more 'bad' people in the world these days, the information is just more readily available than ever before and bad things happening that you would never even have known about 30 years ago makes the internet in minutes. It has caused a bunch of paranoia that we need to protect things and people begin to look to the government to do the protecting.

I've been saying this stuff since I was in high school over 13 years ago. What are we going to do about it? The way I see it now is all I can do is be free and serve my time like a man if and when it comes. I've never gotten a tattoo the first time I got locked up I thought I should get a jailhouse tattoo freedom carries sacrifice. I never did, I should even if I generally think tattoos are stupid.

America isn't and hasn't been the land of the free for a long time. Same goes for the reason we broke from england, taxation without representation. I don't know about you but I get taxed on everything income from the feds, the state, the city, sales tax from the county when I purchase stuff, taxes on the property I own, extra taxes on the gas I use and the beer I drink. When is enough, enough I don't know. All those taxes and I sure the fuck am not represented in the government. Trumps a joke just like the republican and democratic parties all bought and paid for by corporations.

There is no solution look at p&n just bickering to be bickering. If they and the rest of the country would stop auguring with each other and realize were all in this together we might actually accomplish something. As it is now everyones cutting off their nose to spite their face.

 

[FelixDeCat]

True story, I did a search back around 2005. The police were outside the next morning. I've spoken of it before.

 

[deustroop]

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose.

 

[lxskllr]

I can't believe the government would over-reach it's authority. I'm shocked! See? This is my shocked face :^|

Encrypt, obfuscate, and spread your resources around. Security through policy is only as good as long as someone cares. *Google cares today. Tomorrow's another day.

*Some exclusions may apply. Please see our short 12 page user agreement for all the fucks we give about our users inventory.

 

[ImpulsE69]

I can't believe the government would over-reach it's authority. I'm shocked! See? This is my shocked face :^|

Encrypt, obfuscate, and spread your resources around. Security through policy is only as good as long as someone cares. *Google cares today. Tomorrow's another day.

*Some exclusions may apply. Please see our short 12 page user agreement for all the fucks we give about our users inventory.

Sadly, even if Google continues to care, that only goes so far. The moment judges stop caring, it's over. It really is a scary subject when you stop to think about it. I don't think most of 'us' middle aged people have much to worry about in the short term, but teenagers should really be worried, and you can plainly tell they are not. Then again, look at Trump. If he can make president, then maybe we really have nothing to worry about and you can do whatever you want except sneak in the country or be poor.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Just Google? So I guess if the thief uses bing they're in the clear

Actually I wonder if that's the case. If police ask for a warrant to search anyone who "googled" a name, legally, do they only get the people who used Google specifically, or any search engine. "google" as a verb has sorta been agreed to mean search, but legally I wonder if that's the case too.

 

[Genx87]

The peoples republic of Minnesota at it again. This is our state song in case anybody is wondering.

 

[Red Squirrel]

^ Communist music is the best though!

 

[shortylickens]

Just Google? So I guess if the thief uses bing they're in the clear

Yeah but I dont think anyone is interested in my lesbian preggo midget results.

 

[OutHouse]

The peoples republic of Minnesota at it again. This is our state song in case anybody is wondering.

I hate everything about communism but i have always enjoyed that anthem.