Did libertarian news site Reason.com just hand the government the personal data for a handful of its readers?
The question is open after the Department of Justice subpoenaed the site in an investigation of six online commenters who made violent posts about a case involving a New York federal judge.
A leaked copy of the subpoena gave the magazine a deadline of 10 a.m. EST this past Tuesday to turn over the data to a grand jury.
The comments were made under an article about a life sentence that was handed down by U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest in the trial of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the black market site Silk Road.
They were detailed in the subpoena that was leaked to Ken White at the legal blog Popehat.
“It’s judges like these that should be taken out back and shot,” wrote one commentor who went by the name Agammamon.
“It’s judges like these that will be taken out back and shot,” wrote another user, Alan.
Soon, another named Cloudbuster jumped in: “Why do it out back? Shoot them out front, on the steps of the courthouse.”
The back and forth was now the subject of a grand jury investigation that could result in 10 years in prison for those threatening the life of a judge, which is a felony, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Justice Department is asking Reason for the users’ “IP addresses, account information, phone numbers, email addresses, billing information, and devices associated with them,” according to Wired.
“We command you that all and singular business and excuses being laid aside, you appear and attend before the grand jury of the people of the United States,” the subpoena read.
“We have no comment on advice of counsel,” Reason’s communications specialist Kristen Kelley wrote in an email to TPM on Thursday.
The Wall Street Journal detailed how the sentencing of Ulbricht became a hot button issue for those that frequent sites like Reason:
The prosecution of Mr. Ulbrich has turned him into a cause celebre among a community whose members believe the government should have no dominion online. Judge Forrest had been a focus of anger, even before she sentenced Mr. Ulbricht last month.
Last fall, Judge Forrest’s personal information was discovered on a website in the dark web, shorthand for swaths of the Internet that provide greater privacy and require special settings, permissions or software to access them.
Don’t think this rises to the level of real threats. Sounds like the Feds want to sit them down and make it clear they are now on the radar and because of their foolishness they now have a dossier that can be added to. That should be enough for most of these weasels. Will say there is a savage streak about (T)Reason … been there … won’t go back.
We’ve seen people sanctioned and/or lose their jobs for running off at the mouth on social media sites, having objectionable or downright reprehensible opinions about racially charged incidents like the most recent in Texas. Free speech is a bedrock principle. However, I was taught growing up that words and deeds have consequences. I can hear my Mother possibly dishing out a stern admonishment, “Young man, it’s OK to be mad at Bobby, but running around yelling he should be shot for pissing you off is uncalled for and won’t be tolerated!” Damn people, exercise some common sense. Just because you think it doesn’t mean it needs aired in public. These days everyone wants to stand on their roof with a bullhorn (or keyboard) and let the world know what they think, consequences be damned. STFU and count to ten once in awhile.
If the Feds want to start going after internet trolls we’re going to need a hell of a lot more jail cells.
Maybe not. Law enforcement is damned if they do, damned if they don’t. Say this judge gets shot. The perp is traced back or connected to one of these posters. It’s revealed the comment section was brought to the Feds attention before the shooting, and even conservatives and libertarians will come crawling out of the woodwork screaming the Obama administration can’t be trusted to protect us from domestic terrorists.
Is it OK to say someone should shove a banana up Sean Hannity’s tailpipe and break it off?*
*Insert your own metaphor if you like.