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British student journalist's Google data handed to ICE without court approval

Feb 9, 2026·Location: Ithaca, NY

Country of origin: United Kingdom

British student journalist's Google data handed to ICE without court approval
Photo via Instagram

Google provided ICE with personal and financial information about Amandla Thomas-Johnson, a British doctoral student and journalist at Cornell University, in response to an administrative subpoena that had not been approved by a judge. The data, including addresses, phone numbers, IP addresses, device identifiers, credit card and bank account numbers, was turned over approximately 90 minutes after his student visa was revoked, which followed his participation in a protest against defense contractors linked to Israel's war in Gaza. ICE reportedly obtained the data under a gag order that prevented Google from notifying him, in contrast to Meta, which has notified users subject to similar subpoenas. Thomas-Johnson subsequently left the United States for Canada and later Switzerland.

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