Yahoo Can't Be Indefinitely Gagged About Subpoena, US Judge Rules

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 7 February 2015 10:37 IST
Yahoo Can't Be Indefinitely Gagged About Subpoena, US Judge Rules
Law enforcement cannot indefinitely forbid Yahoo Inc from revealing a grand jury subpoena that seeks subscriber account information, a U.S. judge ruled, because doing so would violate the company's free speech rights.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal in San Jose, California on Thursday wrote that the government's request would prohibit Yahoo from disclosing the subpoena, even years after the grand jury concluded its probe. The court order does not disclose the target of the federal investigation.

"In an era of increasing public demand for transparency about the extent of government demands for data from providers like Yahoo, this cannot stand," Grewal wrote.

Representatives for Yahoo and the U.S. Department of Justice could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

Internet companies such as Yahoo, Twitter and Facebook have sought to clarify their relationship with U.S. security agencies and law enforcement, and to challenge secret orders to turn over information, as they seek to re-assure users that they will safeguard their personal information.

Advertisement

In this case, however, the government's secrecy request was presented directly to the judge outside of the presence of Yahoo lawyers or attorneys for the target of the probe, according to the ruling.

Instead of asking that Yahoo be gagged for 60 or 90 days, the government asked that the company be gagged until further order of the court. The government did not demonstrate why such an indefinite request was necessary, Grewal wrote.

Advertisement

"The government is free to try again to make such a showing," Grewal wrote. "Alternatively, it may submit a renewed request justifying a finite period."

© Thomson Reuters 2015

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Internet, Yahoo
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Mozilla's Pocket Shuts Down in July: Try These Four Pocket Alternatives
  1. Apple Reportedly Plans to Launch Dedicated Gaming App for iPhone, iPad, Mac and TV
  2. WhatsApp for iPad With Support for Stage Manager and Other Multitasking Features Released
  3. WhatsApp Reportedly Developing Unified Chat Media Hub Feature for Web Client
  4. OnePlus 13s to Arrive With Support for OnePlus AI Suite; Plus Key Details Revealed Ahead of Launch
  5. Moto G56 5G Specifications Reportedly Listed on Company's Websites Ahead of Global Launch
  6. Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Begins Shipping to Customers During Pre-Order Window: Price, Specifications
  7. OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra With MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ SoC Launched Alongside Ace 5 Racing Edition
  8. Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 Launch Timeline Leaked; Tipped to Arrive With Snapdragon 8 Elite Chipset
  9. Elon Musk Says X Money Payments Will Launch in 'Very Limited Access Beta' Soon
  10. Dubai's Real Estate Tokenisation Pilot Goes Live on Dedicated Platform Prypco Mint: Details
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.