We’re in an exciting time for users who want to take back control from major platforms like Twitter and Facebook. However, this new environment comes with challenges and risks for user privacy, so we need to get it right and make sure networks like the Fediverse and Bluesky are mindful of past...
Cops took what wasn’t needed and haven’t returned it (that we know of).
I’d say that’s about as nefarious as it gets.
How do we know it wasn’t needed? What were the charges?
Any time they take all electronics, there’s bound to be something there that wasn’t needed. It’s overly broad.
And that’s often because what is needed isn’t in plain site, so it makes sense to just grab everything and take it back to their lab and have experienced techs go over it rather than having the site team sit on the computers going through files to find what they need.
How do you know that it was? Were you involved in this case enough to know something the rest of us dont? Or are you just a bystander playing devil’s advocate?
EDIT: since I apparently cant reply to your comment below, you cant just claim that the hardware was involved in a crime by “just asking questions” then accuse me of “stirring up shit” after calling you out on making unsubstantiated claims. If you make a claim it is YOUR job to defend that claim. Not everyone elses’ job to disprove your assertion.
Were you involved enough to know that it wasn’t? There’s devil’s advocate, and then there’s devil’s PR. Why are you trying so hard to stir up shit where none exists? It’s not wrong to want more information before going on a paranoia bender.
I’m not the person you can’t reply to below.
I was literally just asking. If the warrant was in relation to a charge that they were hosting CSAM, then yes the seizure of the server would be appropriate.
I could say the same to you. Trying to research it literally only surfaces what the admins of the instance have said. As far as I could tell, they didn’t publish anything concerning what was in the warrant, or any specifics of what crime was being investigated. The most they’ve said is that it’s related to a protest.
Beyond that, it’s basically just standard procedure to seize all or most computers and drives on a warrant since they can’t possibly know exactly which ones do and don’t contain evidence in advance.
So yeah, I’d would say it’s entirely reasonable to question the person calling it “as nefarious as it gets” for more information
Executing a warrant is as nefarious as it gets?