Justice Dept. Asked For News Site's Visitor Lists

CBS News ^ | 11/10/09 | Declan McCullagh

[Nachum]

In a case that raises questions about online journalism and privacy rights, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a formal request to an independent news site ordering it to provide details of all reader visits on a certain day.

The grand jury subpoena also required the Philadelphia-based Indymedia.us Web site "not to disclose the existence of this request" unless authorized by the Justice Department, a gag order that presents an unusual quandary for any news organization.

[hampdenkid]

What is the “referring page”? Thanks.

[ChuckShick]

This came under Acting AG Mark Filip, who was sworn in on January 20, 2009. I wonder who else was sworn in that day? I wonder... .

Clearly this was Obama’s watch. Some leftie sites are trying their best to tie this to Bush, but they can’t.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

With things like that they sometimes just ask for anything and everything regardless of whether a site would have that info.

[verity]

"...formal request to an independent news site ordering it..."

This phrase seems completely illogical.

[frogjerk]

The referring page is the original posting. See my post#20 for more info about the crazed left-wing nutjobs.

[DJ MacWoW]

I kinda thought it must be something like that because it was about Indy. The Subpoena asks the woman that runs the website to testify on Feb 24, 2009.

[Perdogg]

I don’t think this has anything to do with politics.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

lol everyone proxy chain up if you go over there.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

thx

[DJ MacWoW]

See post 17. It was a threat.

[listenhillary]

5th posting

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/search?m=all;o=time;q=quick;s=Justice%20Dept.%20Asked%20For%20News%20Site%27s%20Visitor%20Lists

[frogjerk]

And if she is running a Linux based system IP addresses of the people who contact the website will most likely be logged in the /var/log/httpd directory (Which may be on a tape backup of the entire system somewhere.)

[DJ MacWoW]

Yup. And look at all the people that missed the other 4 times.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

bumping a #5 repost lol

[DJ MacWoW]

Am I understanding the story correctly, that the US District Court may NOT get the info in order to track down the threat?

[KarlInOhio]

Looks like this was on Bush’s watch. Not good.

The letter from EFF to the Justice Department stated that the subpeona was dated 1/23/2009 and received 1/30/2009. So it was sent when Obama was President, but whatever investigation is going on started earlier.

[listenhillary]

Bump one of the other threads if you want someone to see the story.

[DJ MacWoW]

I never saw the other threads. Not all of us can sit here all day reading.

[frogjerk]

Am I understanding the story correctly, that the US District Court may NOT get the info in order to track down the threat?

Thats what it looks like to me. Basically, the FEDs mucked up the subpoena process and they showed their hand. Now the website folds their hand and gets to play another hand.

They seems to have had a legitimate request but their incompetence botched the case. Sounds like the FEDs to me!

[frogjerk]

So it was sent when Obama was President, but whatever investigation is going on started earlier.

So, basically under Obama the investigation was botched.