EFF Asks California and New York to Investigate Google Over Missed User Warnings on Data Requests

Overview

• EFF filed complaints Tuesday asking the California and New York attorneys general to probe whether Google misled users about warning them before sharing data with law enforcement.
• At issue is Google’s public promise to email users before disclosing information, which EFF says the company failed to honor in a case involving an ICE subpoena for a protester’s account data.
• Records show ICE used an administrative subpoena under 18 U.S.C. 2703(c)(2) to seek basic subscriber details like IP address logs, a physical address, and session times rather than email contents.
• EFF says emails with Google’s lawyers revealed a broader practice called “simultaneous notice,” where the company sometimes turns over data and alerts the user on the same day, leaving no time to contest.
• Google has said it reviews legal demands and pushes back on improper ones, while EFF urges state enforcers to seek an injunction and possible civil penalties if they find deceptive conduct.