April 29, 2004 8:35 PM PDT

Google denies FBI link to Gmail

By Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News

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Google on Thursday denied that it has had any contact with the FBI regarding the design of its Gmail Web e-mail service. The search firm's denial came after the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the FBI seeking information about whether the bureau was considering the "possible use of Google's Gmail service for law enforcement and intelligence investigations." EPIC, which gave an award last week to a California state senator who is trying to ban Gmail, announced the request immediately after Google said it was filing for an initial public offering.

Critics immediately criticized EPIC's request as a publicity stunt and because the nonprofit likened Google's Web-based e-mail service to the FBI's controversial Carnivore wiretapping utility and the Pentagon's discontinued "Orwellian Total Information Awareness program." EPIC's request also asked whether Google had discussed licensing its search technology, in use by customers in the private sector, to the FBI "to further law enforcement investigations or intelligence gathering activities." Google spokesman Nathan Tyler replied: "I cannot confirm whether they're using our technology."

See more CNET content tagged:
Electronic Privacy Information Center, Gmail, Google Inc., request, e-mail

Add a Comment (Log in or register) 1 comment

They couldn't legally say if they could.
by Delaware Boy April 30, 2004 9:25 AM PDT: With the wonderful Patriot act, a person cannot say whether or not they have even been approached by the FBI in order to read email or the like. All the government has to do is fill out a form and say it is needed for a "terrorism" investigation.

So, when can we safely say that the FBI is committing terrorism on our civil rights?

DB; Reply to this comment

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