FBI Loses Customer Privacy Battle with Amazon

The FBI had repeatedly requested details of 24,000 people who had bought books but Amazon refused citing First Amendment protection.

The FBI eventually took Amazon to court after the international company refused to hand over consumer records. The regional bureau was investigating a prolific seller of used books on Amazon, and the retailer had refused a formal request for crucial information about the different people who had bought the books.

"The [subpoena's] chilling effect on expressive e-commerce would frost keyboards across America," US magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker wrote in an August 2006 ruling which has been just unsealed.

The FBI had initially requested details of 24,000 people who had bought books, but this was later narrowed to 120. Amazon turned over many records, but not the information on the customers, citing First Amendment protection.

Assistant US Attorney Daniel Graber intently decided in April that the renowned company should comply with the formal request.

However, Amazon brokered a deal whereby it would inform its customers of the FBI's formal request and let them decide if they wanted to help the official authorities.

The FBI then withdrew the request, claiming that it had found all the information it needed on a suspect's computer. This enraged the judge.

The case only came to light after Amazon asked the judge to unseal and make his ruling public, a move that prosecutors objected to strongly.