The FBI has demanded that Google turn over the identities of tens of thousands of users who watched certain YouTube videos, with investigators obtaining court-ordered subpoenas for those users who watched tutorials on mapping with drones and augmented reality software.
The agency is collecting information for the first week of January 2023 which includes names, addresses, telephone numbers, and browsing history for Google accounts for at least 30,000 people, as well as IP addresses of non-Google account owners.
Google was also told to keep the request secret until it was unsealed. Google issued a statement assuring users that it protects their privacy.
Privacy experts contended that the FBI’s move was unconstitutional because it violated the 1st Amendment’s free speech protections and freedom from unreasonable searches outlined in the 4th Amendment.
According to Albert Fox-Cahn, executive director at the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, the move “is the latest chapter in a disturbing trend where we see government agencies increasingly transforming search warrants into digital dragnets. It’s unconstitutional, it’s terrifying and it’s happening every day.”
Electronic Privacy Information Center’s senior counsel John Davisson echoed that sentiment and pointed out the FBI’s request disregarded probable cause.