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Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from Feds

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 11:57 pm
by PUCKER
Just saw this on Drudge... :shock:

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Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 5:26 am
by jmra
The clarification at the end of the story was interesting and suggested there was much more to the story than the title leads you to believe.

Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 6:39 am
by anygunanywhere
"GOT WARRANT??"

Anygunanywhere

Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:44 am
by JMPJr
jmra wrote:The clarification at the end of the story was interesting and suggested there was much more to the story than the title leads you to believe.
:iagree:

The middle of the "clarification and update" almost reads as an apology.

Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:03 am
by JMPJr
Apparently there's additional information available. Here's two of the links that are popping up:

http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/01/employ ... ot-google/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the ... /?hpid=z11

Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:10 am
by bdickens
"Do you have a warrant?"

"No."

"Have a nice day." *SLAM*

Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:24 am
by TLE2
They're here for your protection: they don't need a warrant.

Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:42 am
by PUCKER
JMPJr wrote:Apparently there's additional information available. Here's two of the links that are popping up:

http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/01/employ ... ot-google/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the ... /?hpid=z11
Appreciate the further digging/follow up. :tiphat:

Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 10:23 am
by brainman
The fact that this was brought to the police's attention by her employer and not the NSA doesn't really make this any better IMO. The police still showed up and searched her house because she googled something. That is not remotely OK. I am a microbiologist and I use the internet to search for info on things that could be used for bioterrorism all the time. Should I have to worry about a visit from the police? And even if I didn't have a reason and was just curious, when did reading about something become cause for a search?

Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 2:43 pm
by VMI77
Seems like some people are missing the part where the officers said they do the same thing about 100 times a week and 99% of the time (and I suspect that number is generous) find nothing worth investigating.

And regardless of where the tip came from the response is absurd; as is the notion that free people get visits from the police for internet searches, especially when the search involves big events that people are naturally curious about. Gee, I've done searches for suppressors and machine guns, a combination far more deadly than a backpack and a pressure cooker. If the police have the time to run down "tips" as ridiculous as this then they've got way more resources than they actually need, and huge budget cuts are in order.

Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 5:28 pm
by EEllis
brainman wrote:The fact that this was brought to the police's attention by her employer and not the NSA doesn't really make this any better IMO. The police still showed up and searched her house because she googled something. That is not remotely OK. I am a microbiologist and I use the internet to search for info on things that could be used for bioterrorism all the time. Should I have to worry about a visit from the police? And even if I didn't have a reason and was just curious, when did reading about something become cause for a search?
The cops showed up and had a chat, so what? It was her husband by the way not her and he looked up bomb making on a work computer that he gave back when they let him go. I'm sure the company was thinking "What if he is thinking of blowing us up?" and figured it couldn't hurt to call the cops. The stopped by and decided there was no need to look any further. Win Win right? They don't wast time and he doesn't have any investigators watching him looking for signs he's a crazy bomber and the company can relax. He could of said no and there is no indication it would have gone any further or that the cops would have cared at all. The blog post made is sound very cursory and casual. I understand that warrants are needed for searches against a persons wishes, but what, you want then to have to get a warrant before voluntary searches? Before they can even ask? Seems a bit much.

Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 6:15 pm
by SewTexas
so I like to write fiction, one of these days maybe I write a murder mystery and google ways to kill someone or blow some one up that's going to get me a visit from the cops....they'd better have a warrant, and yes, I've trained my kids to say that too. "I do not consent to a search"

Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:08 pm
by EEllis
SewTexas wrote:so I like to write fiction, one of these days maybe I write a murder mystery and google ways to kill someone or blow some one up that's going to get me a visit from the cops....they'd better have a warrant, and yes, I've trained my kids to say that too. "I do not consent to a search"
Unless you were googling it from a place that just fired you I don't think you have to worry. Oh and congrats on spreading the parranoia to the next generation. JK :tiphat:

Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 5:07 pm
by talltex
EEllis wrote:
SewTexas wrote:so I like to write fiction, one of these days maybe I write a murder mystery and google ways to kill someone or blow some one up that's going to get me a visit from the cops....they'd better have a warrant, and yes, I've trained my kids to say that too. "I do not consent to a search"
Unless you were googling it from a place that just fired you I don't think you have to worry. Oh and congrats on spreading the parranoia to the next generation. JK :tiphat:
:rules: It's not a question of PARANOIA, EEllis....it's your CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT under the 4th Amendment.

Re: Google "Pressure Cooker" & "Backpack" - Get Visit from

Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 6:25 pm
by EEllis
talltex wrote:
EEllis wrote:
SewTexas wrote:so I like to write fiction, one of these days maybe I write a murder mystery and google ways to kill someone or blow some one up that's going to get me a visit from the cops....they'd better have a warrant, and yes, I've trained my kids to say that too. "I do not consent to a search"
Unless you were googling it from a place that just fired you I don't think you have to worry. Oh and congrats on spreading the parranoia to the next generation. JK :tiphat:
:rules: It's not a question of PARANOIA, EEllis....it's your CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT under the 4th Amendment.
What not to have people watching how you use their stuff? It was the IT department checking out a turned in laptop that got nervous when there were bomb making searches. Big shock they mentioned it to the cops. It makes no sense to believe that would be a constitutional violation. If fact that anyone even tried to make such an argument is amazing. I'm not feeding into the absurdity I'm done with this crap.