S.T.O.P. Condemns YouTube Bulk Search Warrant As ‘Digital Dragnet’

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Condemns YouTube Bulk Search Warrant As ‘Digital Dragnet’ (New York, NY, 3/23/2024) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a privacy and civil rights group, condemns the U.S. Department of Justice for securing a bulk warrant to track every YouTube user who watched completely legal videos about mapping software. According to reporting by Forbes, prosecutors obtained a warrant for IP address and account data from Google on all YouTube users who watched three videos over a weeklong period last year, including one video that had tens of thousands of views. The civil rights group condemned the tactic, saying that searching thousands of innocent people to look for one suspect violated the Fourth Amendment, renewing its call on the New York State legislature to enact pending legislation that would outlaw the practice. SEE: Google Ordered To Identify Anyone Who Watched Certain YouTube Videos https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2024/03/22/feds-ordered-google-to-unmask-certain-youtube-users-critics-say-its-terrifying S.T.O.P. – Geolocation Tracking Ban https://www.stopspying.org/location-tracking Bill – Prohibits the use of reverse location and reverse keyword searches https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S217 “This is the latest chapter in a disturbing trend where we see government agencies increasingly transforming search warrants into digital dragnets,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “It’s unconstitutional, it’s terrifying, and it’s happening every day. We first saw this with Geofence warrants, which in a few years skyrocketed into account for the majority of all search warrants Google receives from US law-enforcement, thousands of requests for the giant to identify every single user within a given graphic area, giving the power to map every user at a protest, house of worship, or a health provider. Then we saw similar abuses with keyword search warrants, which allow police to identify every single person who made a certain request on Google or other search engines. These YouTube warrant are just as chilling, allowing police to target people simply for the content they consume. This doesn’t violate the Fourth Amendment, it’s antithetical to the First Amendment. No one should fear and knock at the door from police simply because of what the YouTube algorithm serves up. I’m horrified that the courts are allowing this, and I am grateful that a growing number of states are pushing forward laws that would ban these types of abuses, like S217 here in New York, which is poised to pass this year.” SEE: City Limits - Opinion: Geofence Warrants Violate NY’s Constitution. Let’s Ban Them. https://citylimits.org/2023/05/19/opinion-geofence-warrants-violate-nys-constitution-lets-ban-them/ In 2022, S.T.O.P. condemned expanded surveillance under the Biden Administration, including 3.4 million warrantless FBI searches of data held by the National Security Administration. The FBI’s warrantless searches allow it to access vast NSA databases of nearly every communication sent by Americans.  SEE: Press Release - S.T.O.P. Condemns Expanded Biden Admin Surveillance, Warrantless FBI Searches, ICE Tracking Devices https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2022/5/2/stop-condemns-expanded-biden-admin-surveillance-warrantless-fbi-searches-ice-tracking-devices The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. --END-- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. Copyright © 2021 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.