Prison Planet.com � U.S. Government Obtains Secret Court Order for Email Data of WikiLeaks Volunteer

U.S. Government Obtains Secret Court Order for Email Data of WikiLeaks Volunteer:

The U.S. government obtained a controversial type of secret court order to force Google Inc. and small internet provider Sonic.net Inc. to turn over information from the email accounts of a WikiLeaks volunteer.

Sonic said it fought the government’s order and lost, and was forced to turn over information. Challenging the order was “rather expensive, but we felt it was the right thing to do,” said Sonic’s chief executive, Dane Jasper.

The government’s request included the email addresses of people volunteer Jacob Appelbaum corresponded with over the past two years, but not the full emails, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Both Google and Sonic pressed for the right to inform Appelbaum of the secret court orders, according to people familiar with the investigation. Google declined to comment. Appelbaum, 28, has not been charged with wrongdoing.

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