A Canadian Trump critic has launched a lawsuit to stop the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from “unlawfully” obtaining his personal information from Google.
The Canadian citizen, who uses an online pseudonym to protect his privacy, regularly goes on social media sites like X to share strongly-worded criticisms of U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies.
After he posted about the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal agents during immigration crackdowns in Minneapolis, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security allegedly issued an administrative subpoena to Google in February demanding detailed personal information about the unidentified plaintiff, including his name, address, location data, and credit card and bank account numbers.
According to a complaint filed in a California court on Monday, the unnamed Canadian is being “unlawfully targeted” by U.S. officials as part of a continued effort “to unmask social media users who criticize the administration — a transparent gambit to chill speech that the government dislikes.”
The Canadian Trump critic is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in the lawsuit, which names U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin as the defendant. Founded in 1920, the ACLU is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending constitutional rights and liberties.
“I have long admired the United States for its commitment to free speech,” the Canadian plaintiff, who is identified only as John Doe in court documents, said in an ACLU press release.
“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.”
‘A dangerous and terrifying precedent’
The lawsuit is asking the court to rule that the Department of Homeland Security is exceeding its legal authority by demanding detailed information about the Canadian’s life and identity.
“The Trump administration is illegally targeting online critics just because it doesn’t like what they’re posting,” Jake Snow, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, said in the press release. “That sets a dangerous and terrifying precedent that threatens all of our fundamental rights.”
The plaintiff has a personal Google email address that is linked to his X account. His posts have received more than 100,000 views in total.
Citing customs enforcement law, the Department of Homeland Security issued the subpoena to Google directly and not through a court. The plaintiff lives in Canada and has not entered the U.S. in more than a decade.
Social media sites have reportedly received hundreds of similar requests for personal information since Trump began his second term. The ACLU has previously filed three related lawsuits, which all resulted in the Department of Homeland Security withdrawing requests for personal data before judges could rule on their legality. Those cases involved Google, Facebook and Instagram.
In addition to asking the court to invalidate the summons to Google, the latest lawsuit also seeks to stop the Department of Homeland Security from using its customs enforcement authority as a means to identify and intimidate Trump administration critics.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Not satisfied with trying to suppress speech at home, the Trump administration is now targeting dissenters abroad,” Michael Perloff, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of the District of Columbia, said in the news release. “A law designed to enforce customs does not give the government authority to target its critics around the world.”
Court documents reveal that the plaintiff was promptly notified by Google, which has not yet complied with the summons.
In an email to CTVNews.ca, a Google spokesperson said unless they are legally prohibited from doing so, Google’s policy is to notify users of subpoenas, court orders or warrants, typically with a time frame for users to take action before the company must respond.
“When we receive a subpoena, our review process is designed to protect user privacy while meeting our legal obligations,” the Google spokesperson told CTVNews.ca. “We review every legal demand and push back against those that are overbroad or improper, including objecting to some entirely.”
