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This could be happening to OEN someday!
A
Justice Department subpoena requested that Indymedia.us hand over any
information the website had on visitors who viewed the website on June
25, 2008. Indymedia is an independent left-leaning news website that
addresses controversial issues such as gay rights. The website was
targeted as part of a crime investigation by the state of Indiana. In
addition to asking for identifying information such as IP addresses,
email addresses, and bank account numbers, the Justice Department
ordered Indymedia to keep quiet about the subpoena. Indymedia
ultimately won the right to not hand over the information requested,
which it said it did not have because it does not store visitor
information for that long to protect the privacy of its visitors. The
incident has raised a number of concerns from civil libertarians and
privacy watchdog groups. The subpoena was a blatant violation of
Indymedia's Constitutional rights, since the company was unable to
consult an attorney due to the Justice Department request that the
subpoena be kept secret. The subpoena also violated the rights of
Indymedia visitors, as many interpret the Constitution to guarantee
Americans the right to read the news anonymously.
Sources:
"Feds demanded identities of news site's readers" J.D. Tuccille, Examiner, November 10, 2009
