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Google Surrendered WikiLeaks Staff’s Private Data To US

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Provided by IBT US Google-WikiLeaks

Google handed over confidential data of WikiLeaks staff to the U.S. government, prompting the whistleblower organization to send a letter to both the search engine giant and the U.S. Department of Justice seeking an explanation.

WikiLeaks announced on its website on Monday that its investigations editor Sarah Harrison, section editor Joseph Farrell, and senior journalist and spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson have received a notice that Google had handed over all their emails and metadata to the U.S. government, which has issued warrants alleging conspiracy and espionage against the journalists. The charges carry a prison sentence of up to 45 years.

The US government is claiming universal jurisdiction to apply the Espionage Act, general Conspiracy statute and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to journalists and publishers a horrifying precedent for press freedoms around the world, WikiLeaks said on its website.

In its letter to the justice department and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, WikiLeaks lawyers also requested more details on the ongoing investigation, which is based on the data provided by Google.

We have reason to believe that these warrants were issued in violation of the Privacy Protection Act of 1980 ("PPA"), 42 U.S.C. 2200aa et. seq, which protects journalists and publishers from being forced to turn over to law enforcement their journalistic work product and documentary materials, the lawyers wrote in the letter.

They also demanded an explanation from Google over its failure to immediately notify the three journalists, which allegedly prevented them from protect[ing] their interests including their rights to privacy, association and freedom from illegal searches. Google took almost three years to disclose to WikiLeaks that it had provided the journalists private data to the U.S. government, the Guardian reported.

WikiLeaks has out endured everything the Obama administration has thrown at us and we will out endure these latest offences too, Julian Assange, WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief said.

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Google Surrendered WikiLeaks Staff's Private Data To US

Wikileaks writes Google a letter about staff emails handed over to the FBI

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Wikileaks' lawyer, Michael Ratner, has sent Google a letter asking what information was provided to the FBI concerning Wikileaks staff members.

A secret search warrant was sent to Google in March of 2012 from the FBI for information about three Wikileaks employees, but the company only informed Wikileaks last month. Now, Wikileaks wants to know what was provided at that time and if it has received any more requests since the original case. Google claims the FBI requested email content, metadata and more.

"We are astonished and disturbed that Google waited over two and a half years to notify its subscribers that a search warrant was issued for their records," the letter reads.

Google has so far informed Wikileaks that the information that was requested had to do with investigations editor of WikiLeaks, Sarah Harrison, their spokesperson, Kristinn Hrafnsson and senior editor Joseph Farrell.

Google claims it did not inform Wikileaks because of a gag order.

"Neither Google nor the US government are living up to their own laws or rhetoric in privacy or press protections," Sarah Harrison told The Guardian.

2015 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

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Wikileaks writes Google a letter about staff emails handed over to the FBI

Wikileaks lashes out at Google for handing over staffers’ emails, data

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BERLIN -- WikiLeaks on Monday criticized Google for failing to swiftly inform the secrets-spilling group about U.S. search warrants issued seeking emails and other personal information from three of its staff.

The warrants, issued in March 2012, required the Internet giant to hand over the phone numbers, IP addresses, credit card details, contents of all emails and other details for Google accounts used by Sarah Harrison, Kristinn Hrafnsson and Joseph Faerrell. The existence of the warrants, which cite an espionage, fraud and conspiracy investigation, was disclosed to WikiLeaks in December.

"We are astonished and disturbed that Google waited over two and a half years to notify its subscribers that a search warrant was issued for their records," WikiLeaks' lawyer Michael Ratner said in a letter to Google chairman Eric Schmidt that was published online Monday.

The letter adds that Twitter took legal action in order to alert WikiLeaks of a similar warrant in 2011.

Google didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

"We don't know if Google tried to litigate it or not, but that's one of our requests to Google," Ratner, who is with the New York-based Center For Constitutional Rights, said during a news conference that was broadcast online.

Speaking at a news conference in Geneva, Baltasar Garzon, a Spanish former judge who now represents WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, said the warrants appeared to be part of a "fishing expedition" by U.S. authorities against the website. WikiLeaks has repeatedly published sensitive U.S. government documents ranging from classified diplomatic cables to Iraq and Afghanistan battlefield reports.

Harrison said that while the data handed over by Google wouldn't have included any internal communication between WikiLeaks staff, U.S. authorities would have been able to gather information about her private life from an old Gmail address.

WikiLeaks said it has requested U.S. prosecutors explain whether the three -- none of whom are American citizens -- are witnesses, subjects or targets of the investigation.

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Wikileaks lashes out at Google for handing over staffers' emails, data

WikiLeaks Blasts Google For Giving FBI Personal Data, Delaying Notification

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Google reportedly delayed by two and a half years disclosure to WikiLeaks that it gave emails and other data from three of its staff to the FBI. This occurred after a federal judge issued a warrant.

Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights, who is a lawyer for WikiLeaks, wrote a letter to Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, telling him they are astonished and disturbed that Google waited over two and a half years to notify its subscribers that a search warrant was issued for their records.

Read the full letter here.

The three WikiLeaks staffers are Investigations editor Sarah Harrison, Section Editor Joseph Farrell and senior journalist and spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson. The warrant was related to charges of alleged conspiracy and espionage.

Importantly, the warrants reveal for the first time a clear list of the alleged offences the US government is trying to apply in its attempts to build a prosecution against Julian Assange and other WikiLeaks staff. The offences add up to a total of 45 years of imprisonment, WikiLeaks said in a press release. The US government is claiming universal jurisdiction to apply the Espionage Act, general Conspiracy statute and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to journalists and publishers a horrifying precedent for press freedoms around the world. Once an offence is alleged in relation to a journalist or their source, the whole media organisation, by the nature of its work flow, can be targeted as alleged conspiracy.

Heres what it said specifically about Google:

WikiLeaks legal team has written to Google expressing its dismay that Google failed to notify the warrants targets immediately. The failure to notify has prevented the three journalists from protect[ing] their interests including their rights to privacy, association and freedom from illegal searches. The take everything warrants are unconstitutionally broad and appear to violate the Privacy Protection Act so would have a good chance of being opposed; however, Google handed everything over before that was possible.

Although Google claims that it was at some stage under a gag order from the US government, there is no indication that Google fought the gag and it is unlikely that the gag just happened to expire the day before Christmas. Similar gags for warrants against WikiLeaks journalists have been successfully fought by Twitter in much shorter time-frames.

While WikiLeaks journalists, perhaps uniquely, do not use Google services for internal communications or for communicating with sources, the search warrants nonetheless represent a substantial invasion of their personal privacy and freedom. The information handed over to the US government included all email content, metadata, contacts, draft emails, deleted emails and IP addresses connected to the accounts. Google redacted the search warrants before sending them to WikiLeaks staff.

The Guardian shares comment from Google:

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WikiLeaks Blasts Google For Giving FBI Personal Data, Delaying Notification

Google provided WikiLeaks journalists’ metadata in Julian Assange investigation

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Sarah Harrison, assistant to Julian Assange, thanks supporters outside Ecuador's embassy in London in 2012. She is among the journalists whose details were provided to authorities. Photo: Supplied

EXCLUSIVE

Google secretly gave the emails of WikiLeaks journalists to the US government in response to an espionage investigation targeting Julian Assange, according to documents disclosed by the internet giant.

Three journalists who have worked for WikiLeaks since 2010 Sarah Harrison, Joseph Farrell and Kristinn Hrafnsson have been informed by Google that all their Gmail account content, metadata, subscriber information, and other content were provided to US federal law enforcement in response to search warrants issued in March 2012.

Julian Assange (right) and Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino address media at the Ecuadorian embassy in 2014. Photo: AP

The Google accounts of WikiLeaks staff were accessed as part of an investigation of alleged conspiracy to commit espionage. US laws referenced in the warrants include those relating to espionage, conspiracy, theft or conversion of US government property and computer fraud and abuse.

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The warrants were issued by US District Court magistrate John F. Anderson, the same magistrate in the eastern district of Virginia who, in June 2013, issued an arrest warrant for former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

Google notified the three WikiLeaks staff of the warrants on December 23, 2014. It hadhanded all the data to the US government by April 5, 2012, 32 months earlier.

The US Justice Department opened an investigation of WikiLeaks in 2010 after the website began publishing secret US diplomatic and military reports leaked by US soldier Chelsea Manning, then known as Bradley Manning. The thousands of leaked documents covered US military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and the conduct of US diplomacy across the globe, generating massive political embarrassment.

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Google provided WikiLeaks journalists' metadata in Julian Assange investigation

Google handed over WikiLeaks emails

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SARAH HARRISON: Julian Assange's assistant thanks supporters outside Ecuador's embassy in London in 2012. She is among the journalists whose details were provided to authorities.

Google secretly gave the emails of WikiLeaks journalists to the US government in response to an espionage investigation targeting Julian Assange, according to documents disclosed by the internet giant.

Three journalists who have worked for WikiLeaks since 2010 Sarah Harrison, Joseph Farrell and Kristinn Hrafnsson have been informed by Google that all their Gmail account content, metadata, subscriber information, and other content were provided to US federal law enforcement in response to search warrants issued in March 2012.

The Google accounts of WikiLeaks staff were accessed as part of an investigation of alleged conspiracy to commit espionage. US laws referenced in the warrants include those relating to espionage, conspiracy, theft or conversion of US government property and computer fraud and abuse.

Reuters

Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy last year.

The warrants were issued by US District Court magistrate John F. Anderson, the same magistrate in the eastern district of Virginia who, in June 2013, issued an arrest warrant for former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

Google notified the three WikiLeaks staff of the warrants on December 23, 2014. It hadhanded all the data to the US government by April 5, 2012, 32 months earlier.

The US Justice Department opened an investigation of WikiLeaks in 2010 after the website began publishing secret US diplomatic and military reports leaked by US soldier Chelsea Manning, then known as Bradley Manning. The thousands of leaked documents covered US military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and the conduct of US diplomacy across the globe, generating massive political embarrassment.

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Google handed over WikiLeaks emails

Edward Snowden does not use an iPhone

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THE EDWARD SNOWDEN INSECURITY WAGON stopped late last week in Russia for just long enough to scatter tales of wide-open iPhone hardware and easily cored user credentials, according to reports.

Snowden's lawyer told reporters in Russia that he does not use an iPhone. We assume that he does not use a lot of common or open means of communication these days, because he worries about what it means for his liberty.

Snowden, who is currently enjoying Russia as his home, does not have time to use the popular phone, and is unlikely to ever make time. Instead he chooses a much simpler method. Sadly not the pigeon.

"Edward never uses an iPhone. He's got a simple phone," said the lawyer, according to reports.

"The iPhone has special software that can activate itself without the owner having to press a button and gather information about him. That's why on security grounds he refused to have this phone."

Apple's view on vendors, users and data is that the twain should never meet. Recently Tim Cook told the world that neither he nor Apple give a fig about user details, unlike others.

"We try not to collect data. We are not reading your email, we are not reading your iMessage. It is encrypted. There is no key," he said.

"We run a very different company. Companies should be very transparent. From our point of view, you can see what we're doing on the credit card thing. We're not in that business.

"I'm offended by lots of it. I think people should have a right to privacy. We want to be totally transparent."

The thrust of his message is that Apple does not play host to any backdoors.

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Edward Snowden does not use an iPhone

In response to warrantless spying, Utah legislature …

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Its vaguely reminiscentthe classic showdown between a landlord and a tenant habitually in arrears on his rent. Except in this case, the denial of essential services, like water, would beperfectly legal.

A bill introduced in theUtah State legislature by Rep. Marc Roberts would deny critical state supplied resources, like water, to the National Security Agency data center in Bluffdale. Legislators in six other states are consideringsimilar legislation.

Each of these bills would ban material support or resources from the state to warrantless federal spy programs.

The Utah Fourth Amendment Protection Act (HB150) would require that Bluffdale turn off city supplied water to the NSAs data center upon paying off the citys $3 million bond. In states without physical NSA facilities, passage of similar legislation would not only support Utahs efforts, but would have practical effect as well.

A group calledOffNow developed model legislation for the Fourth Amendment Protection Act in the summer of 2013. OffNow executive director Mike Maharrey said the strategy of taking action at the state level to address NSA spying evolved as it became clear D.C. was not going to offer any real oversight or reform. SaidMaharrey:

Sen. Frank Church warned us about the NSA 40 years ago, saying it had the potential for total tyranny, and Congress still hasnt done a damn thing. In fact, it has given the agency more power and made it more intrusive.Its exciting to see state legislators stepping up to say, If you wont do anything to stop unconstitutional spying, we will! We will not assist the feds in violating our rights.

Roberts introduced the Fourth Amendment Protection Act in Utah last year, and it was referred to an interim study committee in order to carry the issue over to the 2015 session. In November, the committee held a public hearing that revealed the legislation has significant momentum and support. Roberts tightened up some language based on discussions over the summer, setting up the bill to move through the legislative process this year.

During the interim committee hearing in Utah, one state rep, intentionally or not, made a plea to other states to help out. If Utah goes through all this trouble to turn off the water, whats to stop the NSA from moving to another state? he asked.

What will stop the NSA from moving? Bills like those being considered in these other five states, Maharrey said. If enough states step up and pass the Fourth Amendment Protection act, we can literally box them in force reform or else shut them down.

To date, legislators in Alaska, Missouri, South Carolina, Washington state. Mississippi and Indiana have introduced similar legislation. Maharrey said he has commitments from lawmakers in six other states to do the same.

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In response to warrantless spying, Utah legislature ...

Internet companies could be forced to ‘share encryption keys’ to enable EU surveillance

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A leaked Council of Ministers discussion paper, published on the Statewatch website (14-page / 57KB PDF) and authored by the EU's counter-terrorism coordinator Gilles de Kerchove, said new EU rules could help with the "lawful interception" of communications.

"Since the Snowden revelations, internet and telecommunications companies have started to use often de-centralised encryption which increasingly makes lawful interception by the relevant national authorities technically difficult or even impossible," de Kerchove said, according to the leaked paper.

"The [European] Commission should be invited to explore rules obliging internet and telecommunications companies operating in the EU to provide under certain conditions as set out in the relevant national laws and in full compliance with fundamental rights access of the relevant national authorities to communications (i.e. share encryption keys)," he said.

The plans were scheduled to be considered by a Council committee that looks into improving operational cooperation on internal security last week and could be considered at a meeting of justice and home affairs ministers from across the EU at a two day meeting in Riga, Latvia, on Thursday and Friday this week.

Earlier this month UK prime minister David Cameron outlined his intention to legislate to ensure law enforcement agencies could obtain lawful access to encrypted communications.

In his paper, de Kerchove also called for the European Commission to "deepen the engagement with the internet companies". He said there needs to be "a stronger joint response" from technology companies, the EU and individual EU countries to better restrict "the circulation of terrorist material online".

De Kerchove said EU countries should set up an equivalent body to the UK's Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU). CTIRU identifies terrorist and extremist content on social media platforms and flags them to operators of those platforms. Since February 2010, internet companies, including social media sites, have "removed 72,000 pieces of terrorist content following referrals from CTIRU because they have agreed that the content represents a breach of their rules", de Kerchove's paper said.

The counter-terrorism coordinator said EU policy makers should also consider whether Europol could play a similar role in "either flagging or facilitating the flagging of content which breaches the platforms own terms and conditions".

There is also a "crucial and urgent need" to establish a new 'passenger name record' legal framework, which would require airlines to share data about passengers who board their flights to and from the EU with law enforcement bodies, de Kerchove said. He added that new EU data retention laws could be drafted by the European Commission soon. In April last year, the Court of Justice of the EU ruled that the now-invalid Data Retention Directive disproportionately infringed on privacy rights.

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Internet companies could be forced to 'share encryption keys' to enable EU surveillance


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