So, you think because you don’t live in the US that you’re “free” from Big Brother? Think again. According to a recent article from WIRED, it turns out the DHS doesn’t care where you live. The report revealed how the DHS tried to violate the privacy of a Canadian through Google by demanding data on them.
DHS is violating privacy by getting Google data on people
As you and many people around the world are aware, there have been protests held against ICE. Namely over the killing of two US citizens. This has sparked a lot of outrage. Especially with the Trump administration labeling the victims as “terrorists,” even though video evidence suggests otherwise.
Now, the criticisms leveled at ICE are taking place all around the world. This includes countries and people who aren’t living in the US, aren’t US citizens, or have never even stepped foot into the US. You would think that their comments are safe, but apparently not. This is because your privacy, especially on Google, isn’t safe from the DHS.
The report from WIRED revealed how the DHS used a customs summons to obtain information about a Canadian citizen over posts they made on ICE and the killings of the two US citizens. What’s worrying is that this summons does not need to be reviewed by a judge or grand jury before being sent out.
This is because, according to a former assistant chief counsel for US Customs and Border Protection, this summons was never intended to be used this way. It was meant to be used to determine the correctness of an entry. Then, it would be used to determine the liability of an individual for duties, taxes, and so on.
What does this mean?
This means that your data is essentially not very safe or well-protected, despite what companies like Google claim. Since the majority of online services we use are based in the US, government agencies can access this data, regardless of where you live in the world. In this case, a Canadian citizen who hasn’t stepped foot in the US for a decade, was subject to this.
We can imagine that similar requests are being made for individuals living on the other side of the globe. Individuals who might share similar sentiments and who might be publicly criticizing the Trump administration. But Google isn’t alone in this. The New York Times had previously reported that Reddit, Discord, and Meta had received hundreds of similar summons in the past six months as well.
The sad and worrisome thing is there’s really not much we can do about it. In the early days, we willingly handed over our data to these tech companies. Now, they’re being used against us.
The post The DHS Is Using Google to Spy on People Who Criticize ICE, Even Outside the US appeared first on Android Headlines.
