It is refreshing to see a company stand their ground against the United States government in a moral dispute. Google has refused to provide the U.S. Justice Department with access to private user data. Allowing the government access to this kind of information freely, in both meanings of the word, is a very dangerous place to go. Regardless of the intended good that is to be done with the sensitive information, allowing the access sets a precedent. The current issue may be innocuous, an attempt to help prevent kids from stumbling upon pornography on the Internet, but future issues will assuredly not be so clear. And once the precedent has been set, it will be just about impossible to prevent any government agency from getting whatever information they deem important for whatever cause they happen to be pursuing. Privacy advocates have been crying out against Google almost since their creation. They claimed Google would use the data it collected for nefarious purposes. For just as long, Google as insisted that they value their customers' privacy above all else. This is proof of Google's commitment, especially considering that all other companies turned over their information to the Department of Justice without question. If this information access is allowed, how long will it be before the government begins demanding access to Google email accounts? Sergey Brin is right, "It's a path we shouldn't go down." It's too dangerous to the let the government have this access, and outside the bounds of the Department of Justice to demand it. Hopefully the court system will see this, and rule in Google's favor.

[This Entry]