this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2026
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Privacy

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If you're not familiar with the LEGO scandal, the tl;dw is that this YouTuber Reckless Ben (Ben Schneider) has been investigating a stolen set of LEGO worth ~$100-200k (depending on who you ask) and the local police dept and criminal justice system has been colluding with the criminals (all members of the local Mormon church) to get him to STFU. The long version is, very long. You can check his channel for more.

Previously the local police dept managed to get a warrant to raid Ben's rental home with guns drawn and arrest him, based on what is clearly fabricated evidence. Here they appear to have done it again to get access to his Google account.

The linked video is mirrored on Peertube and timestamped to the relevant section.

Ben does also provide a copy of the subpoena in the video but I cannot vouch for its' validity, and he has used placeholder evidence before, but that's neither here nor there.

Anyway, the part that was relevant to this community was that in the course of their investigation they subpoenaed Google, and Google handed over basically his entire life to them. I'm sure this was very useful in their investigation.

I don't necessarily blame Google here for complying with a subpoena, but the moral of the story is to stop giving Google your data, because everything you say and do can and will be used against you in a court of law, with or without legitimate justification, and the more stuff you give them, the more ammunition you're providing the prosecutor.

This is also not exclusive to Google. Anything not local, self-hosted or encrypted a la Proton can be subpoenaed and the provider will have to comply. It just so happens that Google probably has more information about literally everyone in the world than any other particular entity.

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[–] ropatrick@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago (25 children)

The rules seem to be so loose and open to interpretation around privacy etc. What makes self hosted data different? Surely that's not a major barrier to big tech, the government, the lawmakers etc.?

If they really wanted to, I'm sure they could just decide, "as of today we can take your self hosted data, so we will swing by at 4pm to collect it". 4pm comes, they are at your door, what are you gonna do? They come and take your data, you know it's wrong, what are you gonna do?

I just worry that even the holy grail of privacy, i.e. self hosted data, is going to be of little consequence to them. If people want your data bad enough, they will do wherever is needed to get it. Change laws? No problem. Reduce rights? Yep we're in it. And so on.

It seems like the only truly safe way to store your data is by not putting it anywhere other than in your head.

[–] chunkystyles@sopuli.xyz 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

You have rights, kinda. You can refuse to hand over data if they have no warrant.

If you are compelled to hand over data, it can be fully encrypted. You cannot be compelled to give them the key as long as the only place it's stored is in your head.

[–] ropatrick@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Thanks.

If I found myself in a situation where I had a key in my head and it was what they were looking for, I'd worry about what other ways they might screw me if I didnt give it up. They would find a way.

It's all really bleak at the moment. First time in my 46 years of life that I've genuinely worried about how the world is evolving.

[–] chunkystyles@sopuli.xyz 6 points 2 days ago

It is bleak, but if you're at the stage if being tortured for an encryption key, you're already fucked.

It's a good idea to keep data local. It's an even better idea to encrypt it. But it's not going to completely protect you from a fascist government.

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[–] BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

It's good to give us city folk a look into rural politics.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 2 points 1 day ago

Site doesn't load

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 1 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Why would Legos cost so much?

[–] Brkdncr@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

I think it’s the largest single collection of Star Wars Lego.

Also, people like collecting things and will pay money for rare and unique items.

[–] Evotech@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

There was alot of them. And old rare sets

[–] JillyB@beehaw.org 3 points 1 day ago

It was a very large collection of unopened boxes that aren't made anymore.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 1 points 1 day ago

Link to article?

[–] Etterra@discuss.online -2 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I'm not entirely clear on why this guy stuck out his neck so far over a situation that was never his to deal with in the first place.

[–] Evotech@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago
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