Feds order Google to track people searching certain names or details

The U.S. government is using 'keyword warrants' to uncover the identity of anyone who searches Google and other search engines for certain search terms that may be related to a crime, according to a new report. Google has defended its decision to respond to keyword warrants and claims they protect users when doing so. The federal government claims the scope of the warrants is limited, which allegedly avoids implicating innocent people who search the specific terms by happenstance. In the third instance, detailed in 2017, a judge signed a warrant requesting that the tech giant provide information on anyone in Edina, Minnesota - where the crime took place - who searched the name of a fraud victim. How keyword warrants work: Sweeping practice draws concerns over privacy The handful of keyword warrants that have been made public show how the government uses the tactic to seek unknown suspects. First, federal investigators apply to the courts for a warrant seeking information from Google on a specific set of search terms, such as the name or address of a victim. If the court grants the order, the investigators then demand that Google or other search engines turn over the IP addresses and account information for any user whose search meets the parameter.