Google Agrees To Civil Rights Groups’ Demand For Geofence Warrants Report

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release Google Agrees To Civil Rights Groups’ Demand For Geofence Warrants Report (NEW YORK, NY, 8/19/2020) – Today, Google agreed to demands from 60 civil rights groups, led by the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), to report the number of geofence warrants it receives on a quarterly basis. The addendum to Google’s existing transparency report also provides a state-by-state breakdown of court orders. Geofence warrants allow police to get information on tens of thousands of Americans through a single court order, compelling production of account data for every person within a specified geographic area. SEE: Google - Supplemental Information on Geofence Warrants in the United States https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/supplemental_information_geofence_warrants_united_states.pdf Sign-on Letter https://www.stopspying.org/geofence-letter Press Release - 60 Civil Rights Groups Demand Google Disclose Number Of ‘Geofence Warrants’ https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2020/12/8/60-civil-rights-groups-demand-google-disclose-number-of-geofence-warrants “We commend Google for giving the public a better view into how these dangerous new police search tools are being used,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “Let’s be clear, the number of geofence warrants should be zero. Geofence warrants are unconstitutionally broad and invasive, and we look forward to the day they are outlawed completely. But seeing the number of geofence warrants issued in each state and the scale of the abuse will help spur lawmakers to outlaw the technology.” Google’s data revealed that approximately 95% of geofence warrants were used by state and local law enforcement, not federal officials. In April 2020, S.T.O.P. helped introduce the nation’s first proposed ban on geofence warrants. The New York law would also go further, outlawing reverse keyword search warrants and police use of commercial databases to track location data.   Protocol - New York lawmakers want to outlaw geofence warrants as protests grow https://www.protocol.com/new-york-lawmakers-want-to-outlaw-geofence-warrants The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. -- END -- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn   Copyright © 2019 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.