Originally published February 21 2006
Libertarian groups upset at Bush administration's subpoena for Google database information
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Jim Harper of the libertarian Cato Institute attacked efforts by the Bush administration to acquire database information from Google, a move he believes will endanger the privacy of all Americans.
Right-to-privacy groups said on Friday an attempt by the Bush administration to force Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) to turn over a broad range of materials from its databases set a dangerous precedent that should worry all Americans.
"This is the camel's nose under the tent for using search engines and all kinds of data aggregators as surveillance tools," said Jim Harper of the libertarian Cato Institute who also runs Privacilla.org, an Internet privacy database.
In court papers filed on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in San Jose, the Justice Department stated that Google had refused to comply with a subpoena issued last year for one million random Web addresses from Google's databases as well as records of all searches entered on Google during any one-week period.
The government said it needed the information to prepare its case to revive the 1998 Child Online Protection Act, which the Supreme Court blocked from taking effect two years ago.
This is important for the Department of Justice and we will pursue this matter," he told reporters.
A Google spokesperson said the company objected to the breadth of the government's request but did not consider it to be a privacy issue since the search terms would not include personally identifiable details.
Massachusetts Rep. Edward Markey, the ranking Democrat on the telecommunications subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said he would introduce a bill to strengthen consumers' Internet privacy by prohibiting the storage of personally identifiable information Internet searches beyond a reasonable time.
On the other side, the Cincinnati-based National Coalition for Protection of Children and Families, a Christian fundamentalist group, said search companies should be willing to help the government defend children from pornography.
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