Superior Court of Justice Orders Google to Provide User Data to Investigate Marielle's Death

Rapporteur said that the data will serve to ascertain "very serious crimes" and will not be made public

Rodrigo Trindade

Google is expected to provide user data in the investigation into the murder of councilperson Marielle Franco (PSOL-RJ) and her driver Anderson Gomes. The decision came from the Superior Court of Justice this Wednesday afternoon (26), which favored the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro.

Eight of the nine ministers followed the vote of the rapporteur, Rogério Schietti Cruz. Only Minister Sebastião Reis was against it.

Marielle Franco's portrait (Foto: Marlene Bergamo/Folhapress) - Marlene Bergamo/Folhapress

Google had filed a writ of mandamus refusing to offer the following data: 1) geolocation of users who were in the vicinity of where the car last used by the snipers 2) google searches for seven keywords related to Marielle that made by any users within five days of the night of the crime.

The issue at stake is that providing this data to the investigation, says the company, violates the privacy of millions of users who had nothing to do with crime in order to reach the culprits.

In his vote, the rapporteur Rogério Schietti Cruz said that the data request is different from a telephone interception. It will serve to ascertain "very serious crimes," and that the data of people who are provided by Google will not be made public.

Translated by Kiratiana Freelon

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