AfterDawn: Tech news

Google: The FBI wants some of your information without a warrant

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 05 Mar 2013 10:47 User comments (9)

Google: The FBI wants some of your information without a warrant Google has revealed today how many National Security Letters it received during the year.
The NSLs allow the FBI to demand account information without a judge's warrant.

Usually, the FBI sends such letters to credit companies, banks, ISPs and other companies in an effort to learn more about American's finances and private communications. The agency will normally demand phone numbers, email addresses, and websites visited from companies like Google, citing that the information is relevant to an ongoing investigation. Google notes (via Wired) that the FBI, in their demands, "may obtain 'the name, address, length of service, and local and long distance toll billing records' of a subscriber to a wire or electronic communications service. The FBI can't use NSLs to obtain anything else from Google, such as Gmail content, search queries, YouTube videos or user IP addresses."



Thanks to a new deal with the Obama administration, Google can reveal a "range" of NSL letters it has received. From 2009 until 2012, the company wrote that it received "0-999" National Security Letters.

Overall, in 2011, the FBI issued 16,511 NSLs related to 7201 different people.

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9 user comments

16.3.2013 14:44

Eh.......I'm not doing anything wrong but this is still a massive violation.

Just proves in my mind that the only solution to all this intervention is to drag all politicians and key officials in positions of authority (CIA, FBI director, RIAA head, etc) and publicly execute them for causing fear and destitution in this country.

27.3.2013 15:26
mcat7
Unverified new user

It is the FBIs job, like all law enforcement agencies, to seek prosecution of any violation of the law. These violations can be actions that seem, or resemble possible violations. Innocent persons can be investigated to probe for possible violations of and law.
But when people are investigated by having their right to privacy violated there is a serious problem.
We all want to keep out right to privacy protected and the law enforcement people will use any tactic to gain information. Law enforcement people are not required to tell the truth and can use threats, subversion,false documents, other sneeky methods to gain information to prosecute law violations.
Don't do any thing wrong or that may be percieved to be wrong. With our electronic information, email, internet, you are being watched. The information on public channels is public information. If you don't want something known, don't put it out on public channels.
It does not seem fair sometimes, but when they keep the bad guys away from hurting us in any way it's a good thing.

37.3.2013 15:41

Originally posted by hearme0:
Eh.......I'm not doing anything wrong but this is still a massive violation.

Just proves in my mind that the only solution to all this intervention is to drag all politicians and key officials in positions of authority (CIA, FBI director, RIAA head, etc) and publicly execute them for causing fear and destitution in this country.
Preferably on Christmas Eve.
If that doesn't bring the country together and give everyone a warm glow, nothing will.

47.3.2013 16:56

Originally posted by mcat7:
It is the FBIs job, like all law enforcement agencies, to seek prosecution of any violation of the law. These violations can be actions that seem, or resemble possible violations. Innocent persons can be investigated to probe for possible violations of and law.
But when people are investigated by having their right to privacy violated there is a serious problem.
We all want to keep out right to privacy protected and the law enforcement people will use any tactic to gain information. Law enforcement people are not required to tell the truth and can use threats, subversion,false documents, other sneeky methods to gain information to prosecute law violations.
Don't do any thing wrong or that may be percieved to be wrong. With our electronic information, email, internet, you are being watched. The information on public channels is public information. If you don't want something known, don't put it out on public channels.
It does not seem fair sometimes, but when they keep the bad guys away from hurting us in any way it's a good thing.
So your one of those people that believe the Government is protecting you?
It's a shame people have been duped into giving up their rights in the guise of security.

58.3.2013 02:49

well,its good enough for google......

68.3.2013 03:23

Originally posted by aldan:
well,its good enough for google......
Is it good enough for you?

78.3.2013 03:29

hardly.

88.3.2013 17:12

Originally posted by aldan:
hardly.
Yea, they can get my illegal, virus-ridden shit when they pry it from my cold, dead hands!!

910.3.2013 09:18

I know the true meaning of FBI. It is Federal Bureau of Intrusion.

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