Yeah, no. Sounds like they either got hit with a (probably illegal) threat from the DHS/DOJ, or, actually more likely, they feared such threats because they’d seen the (also illegal) threats that ICEBlock drew, and they didn’t want to deal with such.
It’s also possible that freelance MAGA types inside of those companies decided that code was “obviously criminal” and needed to be suppressed. Possibly then using the past ICEBlock threats as ammunition in internal arguments.
Actual courts in the US are still not particularly willing to apply prior restraints to speech, and would feel especially hampered in doing so by the fact that there’s nothing even slightly illegal about the project as described. Yes, if you asked Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi, they’d tell you it was illegal, but then they’d tell you many other untrue things as well. Obstruction of justice and interference with Federal officers, one or both of which are what they’d claim it was, do not work like that in reality.
I’ve actually never heard of a US court issuing a secret order like that. I’m not actually sure they have the power to do that. If they can do it at all, it’d be really unusual. You may be thinking of NSLs, which are secret, but are not court orders and also aren’t statutorily authorized to be used to suppress anything.
Yeah, no. Sounds like they either got hit with a (probably illegal) threat from the DHS/DOJ, or, actually more likely, they feared such threats because they’d seen the (also illegal) threats that ICEBlock drew, and they didn’t want to deal with such.
It’s also possible that freelance MAGA types inside of those companies decided that code was “obviously criminal” and needed to be suppressed. Possibly then using the past ICEBlock threats as ammunition in internal arguments.
Actual courts in the US are still not particularly willing to apply prior restraints to speech, and would feel especially hampered in doing so by the fact that there’s nothing even slightly illegal about the project as described. Yes, if you asked Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi, they’d tell you it was illegal, but then they’d tell you many other untrue things as well. Obstruction of justice and interference with Federal officers, one or both of which are what they’d claim it was, do not work like that in reality.
I’ve actually never heard of a US court issuing a secret order like that. I’m not actually sure they have the power to do that. If they can do it at all, it’d be really unusual. You may be thinking of NSLs, which are secret, but are not court orders and also aren’t statutorily authorized to be used to suppress anything.
Would you expect to?
Yes. Nothing stays secret forever.