ACLU Battles DOJ Search Warrants Seeking Information On 6000 Facebook Users Who “Liked” Anti-Trump Page

Law Newz reports:

The ACLU-DC is trying to stop three search warrants that would let the Department of Justice snoop around protesters’ Facebook accounts over Inauguration Day protests. They filed in D.C. Superior Court on Thursday, saying the government’s demands violate the Fourth Amendment because they are so broad and threaten First Amendment speech.

These warrants ask for too much information not directly relevant to the federal probe, argues the ACLU. This includes information on the plaintiffs’ friends, associates, and the approximately 6000 individuals who just “liked” an anti-Donald Trump Facebook page. Requested data would go back to Nov. 1, 2016, a week before the presidential election.

“The warrants make no provision for avoiding or minimizing invasions into personal and associational/expression information, for preventing such information from being shared widely within the government, or for destroying irrelevant material when the investigation is concluded,” said the ACLU filing. In other words, this might chill First Amendment speech by giving the government means to observe anyone who were simply linked to anti-Trump protesters.

Over 200 people were charged with felony rioting on inauguration day. The DOJ is still pursuing a similar case against the hosting company for an anti-Trump website. Much more at the link above.