Google Accepts Compliance Reforms To Stop Loss Of Search Warrant Data

The United States Justice Department announced on Tuesday that it has struck a settlement with Alphabet Inc.'s Google for the loss of data relevant to a 2016 search warrant.

The government referred to the resolution as a "first-of-its-kind resolution" that would force Google to overhaul "its legal process compliance mechanism to ensure prompt and complete responses to legal process such as subpoenas and search warrants."

"The department is committed to ensuring that electronic communications providers comply with court orders to protect and facilitate criminal investigations,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite, who heads the Justice Department's Criminal Division.

According to the settlement, the department "resolve in ensuring that technology companies, such as Google, provide prompt and complete responses to legal process to ensure public safety and bring offenders to justice," he added.

Google claimed to have a "long track record of protecting our users” privacy, including pushing back against overbroad government demands for user data, and this agreement in no way changes our ability or our commitment to continue doing so."

The business said it has spent over $90 million before a U.S. court "on additional resources, systems, and staffing to implement legal process compliance program improvements."

According to the Justice Department, Google's compliance modifications will be overseen by an impartial compliance expert who will be hired as an outside third party.

The department disclosed that the US secured a search warrant in California in 2016 for data stored at Google that was connected to the investigation into the illegal cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e.

Later, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit determined that data stored outside of the United States was not covered by search warrants obtained under the Stored Communications Act (SCA).

Congress reaffirmed in 2018 that U.S. providers who choose to keep their data abroad are covered by the SCA, but the government claimed that "material responsive to the warrant was destroyed" in the interim.

Google will compile compliance programme reports and updates for the government, the Google Compliance Steering Committee, and Alphabet board committees.