Trump administration orders Facebook to hand over private information on 'anti-administration activists'

[kevindavis007]

A legal challenge warns of stifling online speech


The Department of Justice has demanded Facebook turn over information about three anti-Trump activists, drawing a legal challenge from civil liberties advocates who say the government is overreaching by seeking vast amounts of personal information.


Warrants issued by the US Attorney for the District of Columbia in February asked Facebook to detail the activities of three users who spearheaded mass protests of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, as well as information about the page they used to plan the demonstrations. More than 200 people were arrested as violence flared in otherwise peaceful gatherings.




Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/trump-facebook-information-order-anti-administration-activists-data-hand-over-a7974746.html


Bad idea.

_{-excerpted - Abaraxas}

[TomSea]

http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,283034.0.html

One might remember our copyright advisory here.

[TomSea]

 So only 3 persons, and they may well be involved in lawbreaking.  Inciting rioting.

[skeeter]

Inciting riots is illegal, is it not?

[TomSea]

Yes, I would think so... really, should anarchists or paid professional troublemakers be shielded from the law?

[Frank Cannon]

Wasn't this all settled with Brandenburg v. Ohio?

[ABX]

The big problem with this is the request (demand) for blanket information versus specifics.

For example, if a specific poster or two or ten made a specific threat, that is absolutely something that would be justified under the law to provide.

However, if all the information on 6,000 members of a group were requested (demanded) even though only two or ten made specific threats, that would violate every legal precedent in regards to this.

For example, imagine 5 years from now if some troll came here and made a lot of threats against President Oprah. That person's information could be requested via subpoena. However, if President Oprah demanded the user data of not just the person who made the threat, but every single member and everyone who visited, that would be a violation of the law.