February 10, 2026
When “Don’t be evil” meets ICE
Google Handed ICE Student Journalist's Bank and Credit Card Numbers
Users fume: “Don’t be evil” is dead — outrage vs “they had to” excuses explode
TLDR: Google complied with an ICE subpoena tied to a student journalist’s Gmail, while activists say the request sought highly personal financial data and lacked timely notice. Commenters split between outrage at Google and claims it had no choice, fueling bigger fears about how easily our data can be pulled by authorities.
The comment section went nuclear after reports that Google complied with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) subpoena for a student journalist’s data — including bank and credit card numbers — tied to his Gmail account, per The Intercept. Privacy hawks called it a betrayal; one user flat-out declared Google “a net negative for humanity.” Others said they’d already jumped ship to DuckDuckGo and relegated Gmail to spam duty.
Then came the courtroom energy: a chorus asked if Google was legally required to obey, with one defender shrugging “blame the game, not the player.” But civil liberties groups — the EFF and ACLU — are pressing tech giants to resist these demands without a judge and to warn users so they can fight back. That warning shot landed hard with commenters furious that the student wasn’t notified in time.
The hottest thread? The “Don’t be evil” eulogy. Memes of the old slogan on a tombstone popped up, while skeptics wondered, “Are they spying on emails?” Google reportedly told lawyers it turned over “basic subscriber information,” but the subpoena’s shopping list (usernames, IP masking notes, even bank details) had people picturing the internet handing over your wallet. Drama, dread, and dark humor collided — and everyone’s rethinking who to trust with their inbox.
Key Points
- •ICE issued a subpoena to Google seeking extensive data on Amandla Thomas-Johnson, including financial identifiers tied to his account.
- •Google told Thomas-Johnson’s lawyer it complied and produced “basic subscriber information,” while ICE’s request encompassed broader details.
- •The subpoena asked Google not to disclose its existence indefinitely; Thomas-Johnson was notified only after data was shared with DHS.
- •EFF and the ACLU of Northern California urged major tech firms to resist similar DHS subpoenas, notify users, and challenge gag orders.
- •A prior Meta case in California showed users can contest subpoenas when notified, unlike Thomas-Johnson who lacked prior notice.