Google Hit With Gmail Warrant As Part Of Investigation

A suspect who has not been named is the target of a money laundering investigation, and as part of this probe, Google will be required to hand over access to this person's Gmail account. The ruling, made earlier today, has raised concerns.

The ruling was made by U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Gorenstein, who gave the go-ahead to serve Google with a warrant for access to the email account. Google hasn't responded to the ruling, but the judge went on to say the law allows for such document reviews.

Other judges have ruled in similar matters differently, and this serves to stoke the debate over what data is up for grabs in the course of an investigation. EFF lawyer Hanni Fakhoury disagreed with the reasoning behind the judge's decision in this case, but praised Gorenstein's actions in explaining why he ruled the way he did.

In a statement to Reuters, Fakhoury said, "The more voices and opinions we can add to the discussion, the better." This follows Google's statement back in early 2013 when it said Gmail data wouldn't be given up without a warrant.

SOURCE: Reuters