this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2026
694 points (98.7% liked)

Privacy

50695 readers
625 users here now

A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

Some Rules

Related communities

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
 

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.

(page 4) 24 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Etterra@discuss.online -2 points 1 month 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 month ago
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Reborn_Mormon@lemmy.world -4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Oh, is this what's going to happen to me in my support of the Mormon Church by forming the cult of Mormon Occultism? Whatever. I expected this twelve years ago when the CIA contacted me, covertly, on an acid trip. Hard to explain, but I have, thoroughly, in my book. But the goal of my mission now is truthtelling, and somehow I knew there would be a lengthy legal battle with "a church" in my future during my fateful acid trip where aliens revealed themselves to me. Hard to explain, but I portray it poorly deliberately because that helps the dazzle camouflage. We know what we're doing. But, I had an experience with the Mormon Church. God, who is that organization of three letters that's always watching, told me to keep on keeping on. Staying silent while screaming. Has anyone ever tested you were a pedophile? It's weird what the Mormon Church prophets from. I'm a master baiter. I'm a fisher of men, I said. I'm a cop, I said in my last post, but the silent don't even read this far.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] starlinguk@lemmy.world -5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Not this again. Again without a proper explanation so you have to watch a whole bunch of videos. No.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments
view more: ‹ prev next ›