Google-Flagged Child Porn Case Shows Court Split on Privacy

A Ninth Circuit case concerning images that Alphabet Inc.'s Google flagged as possible child pornography highlights challenges for courts grappling with privacy protections for law enforcement searches of digital communications.

The case, United States v. Wilson, questioned whether a warrant was needed under the Fourth Amendment to search flagged images found in defendant Luke Wilson’s email account. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled Sept. 21 that investigators in San Diego should have sought a warrant before viewing the images and acting on the tip.

The decision contributes to what the Ninth Circuit called “a growing ...