Posted on 06/20/2019 8:54:46 AM PDT by Jack Black
Full Title: FBI Serves Incredibly Broad Warrant To 8chan, Demanding Info On All Users Who Responded To A Shooter's Post
Internet hellhole 8chan has been hit with a federal search warrant. The site, created to serve those who felt 4chan's nearly-nonexistent moderation was too restrictive, has been front and center recently due to its hosting of manifestos by mass shooters who apparently frequented the site.
In this case, an investigation into a shooting at a California mosque has led the FBI to the pages of 8chan. Postings at the site -- along with some at Facebook -- have linked the shooter to the Christchurch shooting in New Zealand. According to the affidavit [PDF], the FBI believes the California mosque shooter was "inspired and/or educated" by the New Zealand's shooters manifesto and actions.
The Poway shooter is already in custody, so the value of the information sought here is questionable. While the info may have some value in establishing the shooter's state of mind, as well as his connection to other crimes, the warrant does bear some resemblance to a fishing expedition.
From the affidavit, it appears the feds have no shortage of evidence to use against the shooter:
(Excerpt) Read more at techdirt.com ...
The article closes with this statement:
However you may feel about 8chan and its denizens (and I hope those feelings are mostly negative), this is not a justifiable demand for information. The FBI wants everything on everyone in that thread, even as it states some of the users it's targeting were appalled by what they were seeing. This makes everyone in the thread a suspect and treats anonymous users of this site as inherently suspicious, no matter what their posts actually say.
I concur.
Next request info on all facebook users...
They did also serve a warrant on Facebook as part of this investigation, but I don’t believe it was anywhere near as broad.
But I’m told Trump posts there?!
Read a thread?
GO TO JAIL..!
That’s the LAW..!
They already have that.
Strikes me they are using a cannon to kill a fly and if it goes to the courts they may lose their cannon.
Nonsense. If the FBI can use falsified docucments to put the President of these Unites States under an electron microscope with total impunity, they can do the same for any or all of us.
Tyranny
Your name is in the same telephone book as Jack Ruby. Give us a search warrant for the city of Dallas .
“Also known as the FBI Agents’ Lifetime Employment and Pension Guarantee Act”
Lotsa those acts already in force..Largest of which is the forced purchase of insurance for example that makes a WUNERFIL income for LAWYERS ...
BO: Here’s the info.
FBI: It seems that you only have 2 users. One named “anonymous” that posts from IP address “0.0.0.0” and another that goes by the name “CodeMonkey” who also posts from IP address “0.0.0.0”.
BO: Yep, that’s correct.
FBI: Is CodeMonkey this users REAL name?
BO: Yep.
“All users who responded” - so if you saw the original post then responded “you’re drunk go home” the FBI now has you on its interrogation list?
Where was this level of determination in finding out the truth of the Las Vegas massacre?
Trump’s Justice department. Like Pence said, we need 4 more years to drain the swamp!
Wow.
If they want to get evidence this way, juries need to discount all their evidence, period.
We don’t have any real rights now. It would be better if we had George the 3rd as our monarch at this point.
Why don’t they just go to all the ISPs and get info on who’s using this internet thing?
Getting a bunch of names to run down for no reason is a great way to keep busy when you don’t feel like doing real police work.
Nothing will ever happen to the FBI. They have too much dirt on anybody with any power.
They are using a cannon because cannons are fun (for deep state actors).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.