Google challenges legality of NSA spying

[bemildred]

Source: Telegraph.UK/"Agencies"

Eric Schmidt said reports that the US government spied on the Internet giant's data centres were "outrageous" and potentially illegal if proved true, in an interview Monday.

Schmidt said that Google had filed complaints with the National Security Agency, US President Barack Obama, as well as members of the US Congress. "I was shocked that the NSA would do this - perhaps a violation of law but certainly a violation of mission," Schmidt told CNN. "This is clearly an overstep."

"It's really outrageous that the National Security Agency was looking between the Google data centres if that's true. The steps that the organisation was willing to do without good judgement to pursue its mission and potentially violate people's privacy, it's not OK," Schmidt said.

"The NSA allegedly collected the phone records of 320 million people in order to identify roughly 300 people who might be at risk. It's just bad public policy...and perhaps illegal," he said in the interview.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10424539/Google-challenges-legality-of-NSA-spying.html

[riderinthestorm]

9. +1. nt

[Rain Mcloud]

2. Google:"Oh Noes!"

[onehandle]

3. That's like a mass murderer challenging the legality of war. nt

[adirondacker]

10. Perfect! nt

[dreamnightwind]

4. lmgtfy

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=US+government+spied+on+Google+data+centres+is+it+legal%3F

The answer? Outrageous.

[annabanana]

5. I find that pretty funny.

Doesn't Google scoop up all our stuff and sell it to the highest bidders? I think they're just pissed at the competition.

[jsr]

6. Google CEO: 'If You Have Something You Don't Want Anyone To Know, Maybe You Shouldn't Be Doing It'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/07/google-ceo-on-privacy-if_n_383105.html

Google CEO On Privacy (VIDEO): 'If You Have Something You Don't Want Anyone To Know, Maybe You Shouldn't Be Doing It'
First Posted: 03/18/10 06:12 AM ET Updated: 05/25/11 03:50 PM ET

Yahoo, Verizon, Sprint, and others have recently come under fire for sharing customer data with the authorities, and admitting to "spying" abilities that would "shock" and "confuse" customers.

A CNBC interview with Google CEO Eric Schmidt suggests the search giant Google shouldn't get off easy, and users should be wary of what Google knows about them -- and with whom they can share that information.

CNBC's Mario Bartiromo asked CEO Schmidt in her December 3, 2009 interview: "People are treating Google like their most trusted friend. Should they?"

Schmidt's reply hints that if there's scandalous information out there about you, it's your problem, not Google's.

[Eugene]

7. "...if that's true..."

Something tells me this will never be proven to Schmidt's satisfaction.

[dickthegrouch]

8. A private company can do anything that's not illegal

While I'm no fan of Google or others for enabling the blurring of privacy constraints, it is only the Government which set itself up to be forbidden to collect data unless it has a search warrant.

I cannot understand why they don't just follow the law, and get 320 million search warrants.

[okaawhatever]

12. Or just buy the data from Google. That's the next obvious question. If it's legal for Google to

collect the info and then sell it to other businesses, could the government not be allowed to just purchase the data from one of those businesses?

[Valhallakey]

11. Private companies can't incarcerate you or other things only Govt can do to you - Big difference!

[Jesus Malverde]

13. The Quotable Eric Schmidt

“Google policy is to get right up to the creepy line but not cross it. I would argue that implanting things in your brain is beyond the creepy line. At least for the moment, until the technology gets better.”

"No anonymity. And the reason is that in a world of asymmetric threats, true anonymity is too dangerous. … I think it’s reasonable to say that you need a name service for humans. … The governments are going to require it in some form. They just are going to. It’s not going to be OK to have random terrorists doing random terrible things under the cover of absolute anonymity.”

“With products like Google Latitude, you can tell us where you are and then you can tell your friends where you are. Well, we can, using [artificial intelligence], then predict where you’re going to go.”

“If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.”


http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/01/21/top-10-the-quotable-eric-schmidt/

[Rochester]

14. Pot, meet kettle!

[Indi Guy]

15. This is all noise, bluster & thinly disguised pandering.

Google is only trying to win the public relations battle here. If the NSA's illegal activities were wildly popular with their customers, Google would be touting their cooperation with the agency ...and would have a day where the NSA logo appears on its homepage (and the NSA wouldn't mind if Google's artists tweaked it )