Twitter Ordered To Hand Over WikiLeaks Supporters’ Account Information

Twitter has to provide the U.S. Department of Justice with all account information for three users who allegedly support WikiLeaks, a federal judge ordered on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady denied a motion to suspend previous orders that would allow the DOJ access to the Twitter account information of three people who are suspected of having ties to WikiLeaks. The account information for Jacob Appelbaum, a computer security researcher, Birgitta Jonsdottir, a member of Iceland’s Parliament and Dutch activist Rop Gonggrijp will be used in the investigation into WikiLeaks and its leader, Julian Assange. “We’re disappointed with the decision,” Aden Fine, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who represents Jonsdottir, told Mashable. “Before…constitutional rights are infringed, individuals need to have an opportunity to go to court to protect their rights.” The information the Department of Justice requested is extensive as Salon reported: “It includes all mailing addresses and billing information known for the user, all connection records and session times, all IP addresses used to access Twitter, all known email accounts, as well as the ‘means and source of payment,’ including banking records and credit cards.” The DOJ wants all the above information beginning with Nov. 1, 2009 to the present date, according to the report. In December 2010, a magistrate judge granted the Department of Justice permission to seek the three account holders’ Twitter information under a secret order. Twitter’s “Guidelines for Law Enforcement” says it will notify users of subpoenas for information if law enforcement does not submit a statute or court order to keep the information request secret. The request for Twitter account information was kept secret until early 2011, when the Department of Justice allowed its request to go public. The ACLU took the case before a magistrate judge who ruled in favor of the Department of Justice. The case was then presented to an appeals court, presided by Judge O’Grady who upheld the ruling. This most recent decision allows investigators into WikiLeaks to move forward with their request for Twitter account information. How do you feel about governments requesting — and getting access — to information of private citizens? Tell us in the comments. Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, omergenc XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX