Exciting new developments in the field of pre-crime:
Accidental leak reveals US government has secretly hit Google with ‘keyword warrants’ to identify ANYONE searching certain names, addresses, and phone numbers
Mostly it looks like if you do Google searches on things what go kerblam, the FBI might start taking an interest in you.
The original Forbes article on the subject focuses on a slightly more sensible – yet still creepy – use of the concept:
Exclusive: Government Secretly Orders Google To Identify Anyone Who Searched A Sexual Assault Victim’s Name, Address And Telephone Number
There are, I suppose, a *few* good reasons why you’re want to look up information on a crime victim. One, you’re a journalist covering the story. Two, you’re the defendants lawyer. Three, you’re the victim and you want to know what’s out there about you. Four, you run a “fake hate crime” database and your story sounds fishy. But beyond that, valid reasons beyond generalized curiosity get kinda thin. Still, putting someone under surveillance for doing so seems… ahem, unwarranted. Unless that someone is an actual suspect, I suppose.