Washingtech Tech Policy Podcast With Joe Miller

Hey everybody, I’m Joe Miller and here’s what’s going on in the world of online safety and free speech this week.   Denver case may let cops check search keywords   If a crime happens, should police be able to get a warrant that requires Google to release data on who used particular search terms? That question is at issue in a Denver criminal trial against a teen defendant who allegedly killed 5 Sengalese immigrants by setting fire to their home. Denver police nabbed the suspect using a technique called a “reverse keyword search,” under which authorities, before they even have a suspect, obtain relevant search data from search engines before the crime took place. Civil rights advocates are concerned that allowing the cops to obtain search data on arson could potentially open the floodgates for searches related to abortion – such as “Planned Parenthood” – to become fair game for law enforement officials.   But the Justice Department announced the formation of a Reproductive Task Force, Chaired by FTC Chair Va