Justice Department Orders Indymedia To Disclose Reader Visits

An independent online news source was ordered to provide the readers of its website to federal authorities last week.

 WASHINGTON, D.C. — An independent online news source was ordered to provide the readers of its website to federal authorities last week.

The Justice Department also slapped a gag order on the administrator of the Indymedia.us website.

However, CBS News also reported that the subpoena was not carried through the proper channels at the Department.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see an internal investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility; my source would not confirm or deny that,” reported correspondent Declan McCullagh.

The subpoena delivered to news media must be delivered with the authorization of the attorney general, Eric Holder.

However, Holder was not notified of the subpoena’s existence prior to its delivery, according to CBS News.

Moreover, the gag order has no legal grounds since Indymedia is a news organization.

The subpoena called for Indymedia to provide information for just one day, June 25, 2008

The information requested includes email addresses, physical addresses, registered accounts, and Indymedia readers’ Social Security Numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, etc.

Indymedia’s administrator, Kristina Clair, said she contacted the Electronic Frontier Foundation for legal representation.

U.S. Attorney Tim Morrison issued the subpoena, though later withdrew it, according to the report.