Google replies to reports of data-share with cops in Brazil, India

By at 9:52 am Wednesday, Mar 21

Following up on previous Boing Boing posts about reports that Google's social networking service Orkut is the subject of law enforcement investigations in India and Brazil, we now have a statement from Google spokeswoman Victoria Grand:
The reporting tool that was offered to authorities acts as a hotline to Google Inc., allowing the authorities to communicate requests for removal of content to us. The reporting tool does not give the police any privilege other than a speedier vehicle to notify Google Inc. about flagged users or communities.

Authorities have no access to user data and can not remove content themselves by using this tool. The tool is not used to provide authorities with user information such as IP addresses. Google investigates reports received by the authorities via the reporting tool to determine whether a user or community has in fact violated orkut's terms of use.

Authorities may use the reporting tool to ask Google to preserve user identifying information for a certain period of time (in anticipation of serving formal legal process for such information), and we will preserve the information accordingly. But no user data is turned over to the authorities absent valid legal process.

Previously on BoingBoing:

  • More on Orkut and law enforcement: Brazil
  • India: Google's Orkut helps cops censor? New cyberterror law...
  • Brazilian cops: Orkut used as drug network
  • Brazilians outnumber Yanquis on Orkut 2-1
  • Brazil orders YouTube shut down over celebrity sex video
  • Brazil's congress wants to track Internet users

    Xeni Jardin

    Boing Boing partner, Boing Boing Video host and executive producer. Xeni.net, Twitter, Google+. Email: xeni@xeni.net.

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