More Subpoenas in Suit Over Obscenity Law

[lawpal]

Something to keep an eye on.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/te.../31google.html

Both the Justice Department and the American Civil Liberties Union confirmed yesterday that they had requested and received information from Internet service providers and software makers in connection with an A.C.L.U. lawsuit challenging an anti-pornography law.

Charles Miller, a spokesman for the Justice Department, said the agency had issued the subpoenas "to see the effectiveness of Internet filters." He said he was not able to say which of the companies had responded to the subpoenas and to what extent they had complied.

The A.C.L.U. also subpoenaed many of the same companies, said Aden J. Fine, a lawyer for the organization. "We have asked for information that is relevant to the lawsuit, such as information to show that filters are effective," he said. Mr. Fine declined to say how many companies were subpoenaed and what questions they were asked.

While the A.C.L.U. had objected to subpoenas of individual search data as an invasion of users' privacy, Mr. Fine said it did not see similar concerns for requests for data from the Internet and software providers.

The Justice Department subpoenas did not, in fact, ask for information that could be attributed to any individual user. Rather, it asked for detailed quantitative and technical descriptions of the Internet filters that were offered to customers, how they worked and how many people used them. The department also asked for market research information on how many people wanted filters and how satisfied they were.