• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Editor’s Picks
    • The power of teamwork
      Stay awake and alert on the job
      The worst rank in law enforcement
      Firearms maintenance
      Why fries need salt
  • Topics
    • On the Job
      • Wounded Florida deputy leaves hospital after being shot three times...
        Michigan police officer and bystanders hailed as heroes after...
        Florida police officers recount heroic rescue of 3-year-old boy...
        Semi-truck collides with South Dakota police cruiser during winter...
        Florida 9-1-1 dispatcher guides family member through CPR after...
    • Labor
      • LAPD “accidentally” leaks personal information of undercover...
        LAPD union proposes police stop responding to non-emergency calls
        Florida’s recruitment program lures Chicago police officers to the...
        Staffing shortages plague Cleveland police as record number leave the...
        New Orleans interim police chief aims to hire civilians in time for...
    • Tech
      • New Jersey turns to license plate reader technology to address rise...
        One of country’s oldest cold cases solved with DNA from untested...
        Crypto crime investigations
        Austin Police Department launches non-emergency artificial...
        iPhone crash detection feature helps deputies rescue driver from canal
    • Training
      • New N.J. emergency service officers ready to respond in times of...
        Working effectively in low light
        Realism and stress inoculation in training
        Avoiding conflict and escalation
        U.S. trails in police training
    • Policy
      • Wisconsin Assembly votes to require “high-risk” schools to keep...
        Oregon law enforcement and retailers seek to combat organized...
        Utah bill aims to regulate how law enforcement uses genetic genealogy...
        Opposing POVs on permit-less carry
        Ohio bill would lower minimum age to become a police officer to 18 to...
    • Health/Wellness
      • Thinking of pulling the pin on retirement?
        Expanding your identity
        Nonprofit offers telehealth therapy to upstate New York first...
        A California police department’s new wellness unit aims to improve...
        Massachusetts police department prioritizes officers’ mental health...
    • Community
      • “Tennis brings us all together”: NYPD officers bond with youth...
        First responders share love of reading with children for Read Across...
        Colorado Springs police kick off annual soccer ball giveaway to bond...
        “These are beautiful animals”: Community members gift horses to...
        Central Texas nonprofit to open law enforcement museum in honor of...
    • Offbeat
      • Ohio police rescue man from brutal zebra attack
        Motorist stranded in Oregon wilderness without cell phone reception...
        Cincinnati police work with animal rescuers to capture exotic cat...
        Not UFOs: Police departments across the country receive 9-1-1 calls...
        Texas deputy detains runaway tortoise after “slowest foot...
    • We Remember
      • Uncovering history: Railroad police officer murdered a century ago to...
        New Jersey girl supports first responders through Running 4 Heroes...
        Law enforcement from across the country join seventh annual Fallen...
        Boone County holds fifth annual Jacob Pickett Remembrance Day to...
        Farewell to a “living legend”: Oldest law enforcement officer in...
  • On the Job
    • Wounded Florida deputy leaves hospital after being shot three times...
      Michigan police officer and bystanders hailed as heroes after...
      Florida police officers recount heroic rescue of 3-year-old boy...
      Semi-truck collides with South Dakota police cruiser during winter...
      Florida 9-1-1 dispatcher guides family member through CPR after...
  • Labor
    • LAPD “accidentally” leaks personal information of undercover...
      LAPD union proposes police stop responding to non-emergency calls
      Florida’s recruitment program lures Chicago police officers to the...
      Staffing shortages plague Cleveland police as record number leave the...
      New Orleans interim police chief aims to hire civilians in time for...
  • Tech
    • New Jersey turns to license plate reader technology to address rise...
      One of country’s oldest cold cases solved with DNA from untested...
      Crypto crime investigations
      Austin Police Department launches non-emergency artificial...
      iPhone crash detection feature helps deputies rescue driver from canal
  • Training
    • New N.J. emergency service officers ready to respond in times of...
      Working effectively in low light
      Realism and stress inoculation in training
      Avoiding conflict and escalation
      U.S. trails in police training
  • Policy
    • Wisconsin Assembly votes to require “high-risk” schools to keep...
      Oregon law enforcement and retailers seek to combat organized...
      Utah bill aims to regulate how law enforcement uses genetic genealogy...
      Opposing POVs on permit-less carry
      Ohio bill would lower minimum age to become a police officer to 18 to...
  • Health/Wellness
    • Thinking of pulling the pin on retirement?
      Expanding your identity
      Nonprofit offers telehealth therapy to upstate New York first...
      A California police department’s new wellness unit aims to improve...
      Massachusetts police department prioritizes officers’ mental health...
  • Community
    • “Tennis brings us all together”: NYPD officers bond with youth...
      First responders share love of reading with children for Read Across...
      Colorado Springs police kick off annual soccer ball giveaway to bond...
      “These are beautiful animals”: Community members gift horses to...
      Central Texas nonprofit to open law enforcement museum in honor of...
  • Offbeat
    • Ohio police rescue man from brutal zebra attack
      Motorist stranded in Oregon wilderness without cell phone reception...
      Cincinnati police work with animal rescuers to capture exotic cat...
      Not UFOs: Police departments across the country receive 9-1-1 calls...
      Texas deputy detains runaway tortoise after “slowest foot...
  • We Remember
    • Uncovering history: Railroad police officer murdered a century ago to...
      New Jersey girl supports first responders through Running 4 Heroes...
      Law enforcement from across the country join seventh annual Fallen...
      Boone County holds fifth annual Jacob Pickett Remembrance Day to...
      Farewell to a “living legend”: Oldest law enforcement officer in...
  • Between the Lines
    • The imprisonment of law enforcement technology
      Persecution of the LEO is classic schadenfreude
      The rule of law is worthless without order
      School policing: a paradox of the defund movement
      Defending the honor of the LE profession – finally!
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Search

Tech

Google slaps price tag on data for LE

APB Team Published March 12, 2020 @ 1:26 pm PDT

iStock.com/dusanpetkovic

 

In the online age, it has become increasingly necessary for law enforcement agencies to turn to companies like Google to retrieve data about suspects — like emails, online search queries and location tracking information. But with requests rising, Google recently began charging law enforcement for that kind of data.

The new fees range from $45 for a subpoena to $60 for a wiretap and $245 for a search warrant, according to a notice sent to law enforcement officials that was reviewed by the New York Times. There will be separate fees for other legal requests.

A Google spokesman said these fees were introduced in order to help offset the costs of complying with warrants and subpoenas, and federal law does allow companies to charge the government such fees. However, the tech giant’s decision marks a significant change in how it deals with these kinds of requests.

Most tech companies have chosen not to charge government and law enforcement agencies, in part because they haven’t wanted to seem like they’re seeking a profit from legal searches. It also can be difficult to track and enforce such charges because of the sheer number of requests that a company like Google has to deal with. For reference, in the first half of 2019, Google received more than 75,000 requests for data on nearly 165,000 accounts worldwide, and approximately a third of those requests came from the United States.

Some privacy experts have recommended that companies start charging fees in an effort to cut down such requests. They believe that reducing the number of requests will in turn limit the overall surveillance citizens are under.

Al Gidari, a lawyer who has represented Google and other technology and telecom companies, told the New York Times that these fees could recover some of the costs that are required to fill such a huge number of requests. He added that requests have gotten more complicated over time as tech companies have compiled more data and law enforcement has gotten more tech savvy.

“None of the services were designed with exfiltrating data for law enforcement in mind,” he said. “The actual costs of doing wiretaps and responding to search warrants is high, and when you pass those costs on to the government, it deters from excessive surveillance.”

Google released a report that revealed an increase of more than 50% in the number of search warrants it received in the first half of 2019 compared to the same time frame a year earlier. The number of subpoenas also rose approximately 15%. In the first half of last year, Google received almost 13,000 subpoenas and more than 10,000 search warrants from American law enforcement.

There also will be cases in which Google does not charge these new fees. A company spokesperson said they will not ask for reimbursement in life-threatening emergencies or cases involving investigations of child safety.

Google’s fees are so new and the number of data requests is so vast that it’s difficult to know the full impact of this policy. Only time will tell.

As seen in the March 2020 issue of American Police Beat magazine.
Don’t miss out on another issue today! Click below:

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Categories: Tech

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Uncovering history: Railroad police officer murdered a century ago to be honored in D.C. memorial thanks to North Carolina museum’s research
  • Wisconsin Assembly votes to require “high-risk” schools to keep armed school resource officers on campus
  • Wounded Florida deputy leaves hospital after being shot three times in ambush
  • Michigan police officer and bystanders hailed as heroes after rescuing victims in fiery car crash
  • LAPD “accidentally” leaks personal information of undercover officers to watch-dog group
  • Florida police officers recount heroic rescue of 3-year-old boy trapped in sinking car
  • Semi-truck collides with South Dakota police cruiser during winter storm
  • Florida 9-1-1 dispatcher guides family member through CPR after toddler almost drowns
  • NYPD officer rappels down skyscraper to save man from jumping to his death
  • New Jersey girl supports first responders through Running 4 Heroes program

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The power of teamwork

The power of teamwork

July 23, 2021

Stay awake and alert on the job

Stay awake and alert on the job

July 20, 2021

The worst rank in law enforcement

The worst rank in law enforcement

July 19, 2021

Firearms maintenance

Firearms maintenance

July 04, 2021

Privacy Policy | Your Privacy Options | Notice at Collection | Copyright © 2023 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.