Google is catching some heat following the firm revealed that it handed over e-mails as well as other data on three WikiLeaks workers to the US government. But, to make matters worse, Mountain View handed over the information in the spring of 2012. That’s right, Google waited over two and a half years to tell Wikileaks about the government request. The warrants, which the FBI in March of 2012 served, asked for the contents of all e-mails — sent, received and draft — as well as origin or their destination, IP addresses and related to the accounts. How much of that information Google ultimately delivered isn’t known, but WikiLeaks has requested the internet giant for some insights.
In a letter composed by among the corporation’s attorneys, Michael Ratner of the Center For Constitutional Rights, WikiLeaks says that it’s “astonished and upset” that it’s just discovering about this information request now. In particular its upset that the three staffers in question, Kristinn Hrafnsson Sarah Harrison and Joseph Farrell were not able to prepare a legal defense that may have prevented their information.
That is hardly the only question, though. WikiLeaks workers and it nevertheless want to know what exactly was given to the government, why it had been requested, when it was handed over and whether or not Google pushed back. Mountain View has a spotty history regarding government and transparency requests for info, but this event is still somewhat shocking.
