Issued by Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson, the warrant looks at anyone who searched variations of a resident’s name on Google from Dec. 1 through Jan. 7.
A search warrant issued to Edina police to collect information on people who used certain search terms on Google is raising concerns about constitutional violations.
Privacy law experts say that the warrant — issued to find a suspect in an attempted identity and credit theft of an Edina resident — is based on an unusually broad definition of probable cause that would be troubling if it became widespread.
“This kind of warrant is cause for concern because it’s closer to these dragnet searches that the Fourth Amendment is designed to prevent,” said William McGeveran, a law professor at the University of Minnesota.
Issued by Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson in early February, the warrant looks at anyone who searched variations of the resident’s name on Google from Dec. 1 through Jan. 7.
In addition to basic contact information for people targeted by the warrant, Google would have to provide Edina police with their Social Security numbers, account and payment information, and IP (internet protocol) and computer addresses.
Information on the warrant first emerged through a blog post by public records researcher Tony Webster. Edina police declined to comment Thursday on the warrant, saying it is part of an ongoing investigation.
Detective David Lindman outlined the case in his application for the search warrant:
More:
http://www.startribune.com/search-warrant-issued-to-edina-police-raises-privacy-concerns-of-internet-users/416442113/Guys? We're supposed to be the police state. Not you.
