DHS abuses 1930s customs law in attempt to get data on Canadian from Google
Summary
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used an old customs law to request personal data from Google about a Canadian man who criticized the Trump administration online. The man has not entered the U.S. in over ten years, and his lawyers claim DHS misused the law to gather information beyond its legal reach.Key Facts
- DHS issued a customs summons to Google to get location and activity data on a Canadian man.
- The summons is based on the Tariff Act of 1930, a law meant for customs and import/export investigations.
- The man had not entered the U.S. in more than ten years and did not import or export goods during the requested time.
- The summons was issued after the man posted criticism of immigration agents following two killings in Minneapolis.
- Customs summonses do not require court approval before being sent.
- Google alerted the man about the DHS request despite a non-disclosure request from DHS.
- The man’s lawyers filed a lawsuit claiming DHS misused the law to track his online speech.
- The man’s online posts were strong but did not contain threats or calls for violence.
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