Judge orders DreamHost to turn over inauguration protest website data
A judge ruled Thursday that web hosting company DreamHost must turn over data from an Inauguration Day protest website to federal prosecutors looking to find evidence against people charged with rioting during the event. D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge Robert Morin said there would be safeguards in place to address First Amendment concerns raised by the company, which said it was “problematic” to turn over such sensitive information. As a result of the ruling, investigators will be able to review emails related to the website DisruptJ20 .org and identify those who sent and received communications through the domain. But the judge, who ruled from the bench, ordered the government to abide by strict rules to minimize the collection of information about individuals who communicated through the website but committed no crime. “I am going to be supervising their search,” Judge Morin told the lawyers. The Justice Department said it’s no longer looking for casual visitors to the websit...