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Swede

(39,931 posts)
Wed May 6, 2026, 07:18 PM 11 hrs ago

Canadian sues U.S. Homeland Security, which allegedly sought his Google data after critical social media posts

And no, it's not me.

A Canadian is fighting back in U.S. federal court over what he says is an attempt by the Department of Homeland Security, through Google, to seek "vast swaths of information" about his personal life following social media posts critical of Donald Trump's administration.

The Canadian John Doe plaintiff on Monday sued Markwayne Mullin, the current DHS secretary, in a lawsuit that contends DHS is engaged in "a transparent gambit to chill speech the government doesn't like." The suit was brought by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) offices in D.C., where DHS is located, and in northern California, the jurisdiction where Google has its headquarters.

"I have long admired the United States for its commitment to free speech," the plaintiff said in a statement released by the ACLU. "Never in a million years did I think that, after criticizing the U.S. government, I would be targeted with a summons seeking to find out who I am, where I live, where I go and what I read online. You don’t have to be from America to know that this is un-American."

According to the complaint, the Canadian posts under a pseudonym about political topics on X and other platforms, routinely posting "content critical of President Trump and his administration." In his social media posts, he frequently tags the user names and accounts of U.S. government officials.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/us-dhs-aclu-lawsuit-canadian-john-doe-9.7187851

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Canadian sues U.S. Homeland Security, which allegedly sought his Google data after critical social media posts (Original Post) Swede 11 hrs ago OP
Good on Canadian Plaintiff, John Doe.. Cha 10 hrs ago #1
Thanks for posting this, Swede! highplainsdem 9 hrs ago #2
TY for the link in LBN,... Cha 9 hrs ago #3
I hope so, too. The DHS is doing this to harass and try to intimidate critics. Not sure what else they highplainsdem 9 hrs ago #4
TY, So grateful this Canadian is Going Cha 9 hrs ago #5

Cha

(320,305 posts)
1. Good on Canadian Plaintiff, John Doe..
Wed May 6, 2026, 07:52 PM
10 hrs ago

Fighting Back Against US Fascist Nazis 2.o, Elbows Up!

So Hope he WINS!! 💙 ☮️ 🌻🕯️🕊️

highplainsdem

(62,878 posts)
2. Thanks for posting this, Swede!
Wed May 6, 2026, 08:30 PM
9 hrs ago

Some more info here

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143660476

and the Wired article I posted about there a couple of days ago linked to an NYT article from 3 months ago about these DHS summonses

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/technology/dhs-anti-ice-social-media.html

but going after a Canadian is apparently new.

The Trump regime is so stupid.

Cha

(320,305 posts)
3. TY for the link in LBN,...
Wed May 6, 2026, 08:43 PM
9 hrs ago
Hope DHS does NOT get Canadian John Doe's Info.

I'm glad h's doding this, but what could they do to him in Canada, anyway?

highplainsdem

(62,878 posts)
4. I hope so, too. The DHS is doing this to harass and try to intimidate critics. Not sure what else they
Wed May 6, 2026, 08:55 PM
9 hrs ago

could ever do to him in Canada, but they hope to make life miserable enough for the people they go after that others will be afraid to say anything.

It's like the DOJ's idiotic prosecutions of people the idiot in the White House is still mad at. Those are at least partly meant as warnings to anyone who might offend Trump.

Cha

(320,305 posts)
5. TY, So grateful this Canadian is Going
Wed May 6, 2026, 09:11 PM
9 hrs ago

after the US Nazi Harassers. Make a case study about the prey Fighting back, against the predator.

💙 ☮️ 🌻🕯️🕊️

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