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January 20, 2006
Justice Department
The Justice Department wants to force Google to release records of everyone's searches. Why? To find and prosecute anyone who may be viewing child pornography.
Okay, child porn is evil and bad and rightly illegal. However, what is some child porn purveyer uses tags that do not indicate that the site is porn and Google lists that site when someone is searching for dolls or toys? What if someone clicks on a link that appears to be ok but it ends up being a porn site? I think that has happened to must of us. If that porn site has an underage 17 year old or something on it, does that mean that it's illegal to inadvertently click on a search result that does not appear to be porn? I don't know about this.
I have problems with this kind of broad demand - apparently they want "ALL" search records.
Wouldn't that kind of be illegal search and seizure? Or am I all concerned about nothing? Or, if I want to search for guns, will some justice guy get all hot and bothered and investigate me?
I'd rather they go and investigate foreign nationals who hail from countries that are not friendly to us.
I want us to get rid of terrorists as soon as possible.
I'm glad that Google is saying no.
Posted by Beth at January 20, 2006 6:25 AM
Comments
Actually, they're making the request so that they can prove that, in the absence of federal regulation of online pornography, people are indvertently getting exposed to porn. (More info here.)
Posted by: *** Dave at January 20, 2006 2:05 PM
Every assualt on the Bill of Rights gets justified in terms of "For the ____." In this case it is "For the Children." What we have to decide is what is more important, catching people who view child porn or your right to be free from search for evidence you might have committed a crime.
As a confessed cynic though, I suspect that at some point somebody in DoJ will discover that terrorists like child porn and that will open the door under the current rationales for ever expanding warrentless searches.
Once the camel gets it's nose under the tent flap, be warned the "hump is next" and you never want to bend over or turn your back when that happens. :)
Posted by: NOTR at January 21, 2006 12:13 PM
I'm glad, too, Beth. I mean, how could they discern intent and purposed seeking of the sites? Length of time spent there? Weird.
Posted by: Rae at January 22, 2006 12:11 PM
This is one of the many reasons that I did something last year I thought I would never do.
I joined the American Civil Liberties Union.
Posted by: Allan at January 22, 2006 4:08 PM
Sadly, Allan, *that* is a truly double-ended sword.
Posted by: John of Argghhh! at January 22, 2006 4:50 PM