This is an insane case, so I'll start a thread.
Here's what went down:
A spate of armed robberies hit at least nine locations in Portland, Maine, in March.
The government orders Google to find all users who were within 2 of 9 locations, covering a total of 45 hectares...
Here's what went down:
A spate of armed robberies hit at least nine locations in Portland, Maine, in March.
The government orders Google to find all users who were within 2 of 9 locations, covering a total of 45 hectares...
The government also slaps a gag order on Google, preventing it from disclosing the data request to anyone.
Over the coming months, Google just doesn't respond with the data. It doesn't appear to file any response at all, in fact.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
Over the coming months, Google just doesn't respond with the data. It doesn't appear to file any response at all, in fact.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
So the FBI keeps filing motions to extend the warrant, right up until last week.
The feds appear to just give up waiting on Google.
Earlier this month, a suspect pleads guilty and the FBI reveals it used multiple other surveillance methods to catch him.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
The feds appear to just give up waiting on Google.
Earlier this month, a suspect pleads guilty and the FBI reveals it used multiple other surveillance methods to catch him.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
First off, they find some footprints in the snow and match it to an Under Armour sneaker.
Amazingly, a discarded Under Armour shoe finds its way into the FBI's hands. They match the DNA on the shoe to the DNA of the suspect.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
Amazingly, a discarded Under Armour shoe finds its way into the FBI's hands. They match the DNA on the shoe to the DNA of the suspect.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
They also get location data from an unnamed source.
And they get toll records for the suspect's work van.
Ultimately, they didn't even need the Google data but put in their request anyway.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
And they get toll records for the suspect's work van.
Ultimately, they didn't even need the Google data but put in their request anyway.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
Now, most of the locations are far enough apart that it's unlikely any innocents would've been caught up in the data grab -- the FBI wanted info on Google users at 2 of the 9 locations of the robberies.
BUT 2 of the locations were less than 500m apart.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
BUT 2 of the locations were less than 500m apart.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
The main takeaway?
The FBI is getting judges to sign off on warrants that allow them to get Google user information, including names, addresses and location, without even knowing who they're looking for across wide areas of land.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
The FBI is getting judges to sign off on warrants that allow them to get Google user information, including names, addresses and location, without even knowing who they're looking for across wide areas of land.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
Given the AP feature showing how difficult it is to stop Google storing your location data, this kind of government surveillance becomes even more worrisome.
The FBI thinks it has a right to that info, even if innocents' data gets harvested too.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
The FBI thinks it has a right to that info, even if innocents' data gets harvested too.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
This kind of surveillance is called a reverse location search. Gov gives a tech company an area in which it wants info on all users, in the hopes of finding suspects.
It's completely unclear how they prevent innocent people getting caught out.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
It's completely unclear how they prevent innocent people getting caught out.
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
More here on similar things happening in North Carolina: wral.com/Raleigh-police…
And here's that AP report on Google location tracking ICYMI: apnews.com/828aefab64d441…
And here's that AP report on Google location tracking ICYMI: apnews.com/828aefab64d441…
Oh and I made a little map showing the areas where the FBI asked Google to find users and hand over their personal data: drive.google.com/open?id=1rjHVu…
Nice for the government that it can keep its reverse location Google orders secret, even from suspects' lawyers... 
