Google Says Why It Would Give Your Info To The Cops

Authorities need a warrant, but not always, Internet giant explains

Think the “pigs” are watching you? Well, don’t count on Google to protect your private emails and other communication in certain circumstances. The cops are trolling through you Gmail messages, documents, photos and YouTube videos, according to Google. In an NPR interview on Monday, the Internet giant explained why it would give up your information to the government. “The new thing is that we’re actually sort of saying…product by product, how it is that we handle the request,” said Google Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer David Drummond. The company has posted that information for the four Google products that attract the most requests from police. Google says it needs a judge-issued search warrant to hand over information, but police don’t always need one to find out who owns a particular Gmail address. There are details missing from Google’s explanation, like the types of crimes that are being investigated. This isn’t a subject that most tech companies will dwell on, but Google is spilling the beans in the hopes that people push for tougher privacy laws. (NPR)

To view Google's "Frequently Asked Questions" announcement on government requests, click here.

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