Google Hands Private Data of WikiLeaks Staff to US Government

WikiLeaks Investigative editor, Section Editor, senior journalists and spokesperson received notices that Google handed over all their emails and metadata to the US government in response to warrants for conspiracy and espionage, WikiLeaks reports.

The information handed over to the US government included all email content, including draft and deleted emails, contacts, metadata, and IP addresses connected to the accounts.

WikiLeaks lawyers demanded an explanation from the US Department of Justice over “a serious violation of the privacy and journalistic rights of WikiLeaks' staff” and also from Google concerning its failure to immediately notify the targets of the warrants which allegedly prevented them from “protect[ing] their interests including their rights to privacy, association and freedom from illegal searches,” as it took the Internet-services giant almost three years to disclose the handover of the information.

The list of alleged offenses include espionage, conspiracy to commit espionage and others adding up to 45 years of imprisonment.

Launched in 2006 by Julian Assange, WikiLeaks made its name by releasing scores of classified diplomatic and military documents from governments around the world, most notably about United States.