FBI blasted over Amazon evidence demands

THE FBI has been blasted for demanding information on the reading habits of thousands of Amazon customers as part of its case against one man.

The FBI subpoenaed Amazon seeking the identities of thousands of people who bought used books.

However, US Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker ruled customers have a First Amendment right to keep their reading habits from the government.

He branded the subpoena 'Orwellian' and could frighten countless potential customers into cancelling planned online book purchases.

Crocker added that it was an "unsettling and un-American scenario to envision federal agents nosing through the reading lists of law-abiding citizens while hunting for evidence against somebody else".

However it appears that the legal show down was less about one case, but more of the FBI demanding that Amazon do what it was told.

The case was part of a grand jury investigation into a former Madison official Robert D'Angelo who was a prolific seller of used books on Amazon. He was not declaring the sales of the books on his tax returns and the FBI wanted witnesses who could say they bought books from him.

The FBI answer to the problem was the subpoena. Asking Amazon to hand over the 24,000 names, addresses and book information seemed to be the best way forward.Amazon said 'er no'.

Later the prosecutors asked for the details of 120 customers which should provide them with enough witnesses.

Amazon again said no and cited the First Amendment but was over-ruled by

Assistant US Attorney Daniel Graber dismissed First Amendment concerns in an April letter to the company.

After the Judge made his ruling, the Graber said he never needed the information from Amazon after all. It turned out that all the data was on a computer that they seized earlier in the investigation.

Judge Crocker was incandescent with rage. He blasted the FBI saying that it had "bared its teeth when Amazon" had not done what it was told.

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