Google under fire again for handing user info to police Google is under fire again today for cooperating with Indian police trying to track down an Orkut user who had been rude about a politician. Police asked Google for user information for the person behind a post called "I hate Sonia Gandhi" - Gandhi being a Congress party politician. Google provided an IP number and email …
Contradiction here El Reg
Post Title: Google under fire again for handing user info to police’
In Post: Like all law-abiding companies, we comply with local laws and valid legal process, such as court orders and subpoenas. In compliance with valid Indian legal process, we provided Indian law enforcement authorities with the IP address information they requested in this case
Google were asked for the details under Indian Law. I would rather Google get in trouble for COMPLYING with the law rather than BREAKING it.
/PH 'cause she knows the difference
"...as they sure as hell wont protect you if someone comes asking questions."
...within the constraints of local law?
It's not Googles job to step in and say "we don't believe that we can ethically give you this information" - otherwise they'd be the ones up in court for blocking the judicial process.
You idiot.
*belms*
Steven R
Slagged off Gordon Brown last week, being a comment on something really fucking stupid that the mad bastard had decided to do, against all the (best) most expensive advice available.
You know, the Prime Minister of UK (Unkempt Kingwotalotoshit), what a twat,
Hang on I hear a knock at the d...
AC, if I have no fucking idea, then please, enlighten me?
What are Google supposed to have done? Stalled for time? And be realistic, pulling out of India isn't exactly an option given the burgeoning online community and tech centres there.
Come on, lets hear your words of wisdom. I'm intrigued.
Steven R
FFS! the bloke wasn't arrested for saying he hated her, or expressing his political views.
From the ExpressIndia page:
"he police said that hating Sonia Gandhi is a personal opinion of the person who formed the community and having a personal opinion about someone is not an offence as per the law."
He was arrested for posting:
"content in vulgar language about Sonia Gandhi"
I think that you'll find that even in the UK, if you make libelous / slanderous comments about people you could end up facing prosecution.
Moral of this story; If you want to make your political opinions known, keep it clean - specially in India.
The line between the rule of law and not in Eurasia is basically at the borders of the EU.
East or south of there freedom requires political and/or economic connections.
What distinguishes India from most of its neighbors is a strong press, which constantly agitates about misapplications of actual laws to more-or-less defend freedom.
For example I've said much worse and the Indian police can't touch me for expressing my views because I'm an American and the press would be all over them.
"What was it now 'Do no....... ?'"
I believe it was "Do no[t do anything to diminish The Bottom Line]"
On a side note, we all know the real reasons the US invaded Iraq and overthrew its democratic* government, but the publicized reasons were to get rid of the WMDs** and to "democratize" the country. Not only that, but the president has said he wants to "democratize" and bring freedom to the world. And yet, two of the countries we do most of our business with, China and India, are quite freedomless. We simply overlook the fact that China is communist and has a list of human rights violations longer than Bush's list of failures and misstatements. And now we find that India is so freedomless that you can't even state a negative *opinion* about a politician without being thrown in jail? All the while, we say it's Cuba we need to protect our citizens from***.
* For the sake of this post, let's not argue about whether it was a real or fake/coerced democracy, as it's not relevant to my point
** Let's not even discuss this one
*** Unless you're talking about Cuba's baseball players, in which case we're happy to deal with them
Not since the Nuremberg Trials my friend!
If the laws of your country are evil and contravene internationally accepted civilized behavior, obeying them exposes you to a charge of crimes against peace or crimes against humanity and maybe a couple of others depending on how vigorously you followed The Orders.
(Why is there always one of these in every crowd - "Achtung... you vill obey ze law!!! And notice how the little martinets always have punchy little slogans like: "Live with it", "Period!", "It's the Law" etc.)
There seems to be some confusion.
There was no court order or legal action, was there?, "we provided Indian law enforcement authorities with the IP address information they requested in this case" they requested information, just like they do in any country.
If the company is like Google they will act on the mere possibility and take the easiest route , or help China in filtering search results. Because Google is not a charity, it's a n advertiser out to make money
Why should they deal with the hassle and possible legal problems, it's not their job.
"Don't be evil" isn't Google's motto - it's a warning.
Now everyone join in with the Google corporate anthem:
Every breath you take
And every move you make
Every bond you break, every step you take
I'll be watching you
Every single day
And every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay
I'll be watching you
Copyright 1983 The Police (Secret Divison)
Not a problem. You are not going to get banged up because the nicks in the UK are full and building new ones costs big money that they dont have. At worst you'll get a community service order to weed and plant the council flowerbeds for a few weeks. Think of the fun you can then have planting the bulbs so they spell F..k Gordon Brown when they bloom............
Google hands over IP address to the Indian cops because someone insulted the Great Leader.
And the City of London police issue summouns to an anti-scientology demonstrator.
Now, imagine "The Church of Scientology" taking over Google.
Posting anon - for obvious reasons.
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