Google Discloses Student Journalist's Personal Data to ICE Following Administrative Subpoena

Google has transferred a comprehensive dataset containing personal and financial information of a student journalist to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in response to an administrative subpoena that did not receive judicial approval, according to reporting by The Intercept.

The technology conglomerate provided ICE with extensive user data belonging to Amandla Thomas-Johnson, a British student and journalist who briefly participated in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in 2024 while enrolled at Cornell University in New York. The disclosed information included:

• Account usernames and associated service identifiers
• Physical addresses
• IP address logs
• Phone numbers and subscriber information
• Financial data including credit card and bank account numbers

The subpoena reportedly contained a non-disclosure provision and lacked specific justification for the data request. Thomas-Johnson previously disclosed that the data demand was issued within two hours of Cornell University notifying him of his student visa revocation by federal authorities.

This incident represents the latest case in which federal agencies have utilized administrative subpoenas—a controversial legal mechanism that enables government entities to request user data from technology companies without judicial oversight. Recent targets have included anonymous Instagram accounts tracking ICE operations and individuals expressing criticism of current administration policies.

Neither ICE nor Google provided immediate responses to requests for comment.

Technical and Legal Context

Administrative subpoenas are issued directly by federal agencies without requiring court authorization. While these legal instruments cannot compel disclosure of communication content such as email messages, search queries, or precise geolocation data, they can request:

• Account metadata
• Subscriber identification information
• Email addresses and associated identifiers
• Other data points useful for user de-anonymization

Critically, technology companies are not legally obligated to comply with administrative subpoenas, unlike court-issued warrants or orders.

Industry Response and Privacy Advocacy

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) recently issued an open letter to major technology platforms including Amazon, Apple, Discord, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Reddit, demanding that these companies cease data disclosure to the Department of Homeland Security in response to administrative subpoenas.

The EFF stated: "Based on our own contact with targeted users, we are deeply concerned your companies are failing to challenge unlawful surveillance and defend user privacy and speech."

The organization urged companies to require judicial confirmation of subpoena legitimacy before disclosing user information and to provide affected users with adequate notice and time to mount legal challenges.

Thomas-Johnson commented on the broader implications: "We need to think very hard about what resistance looks like under these conditions…where government and Big Tech know so much about us, can track us, can imprison, can destroy us in a variety of ways."

Sources:
The Intercept - Google ICE Subpoena Report
The Guardian - Thomas-Johnson Commentary
EFF Open Letter to Tech Companies