Best Buy’s Geek Squad Techs Search Customer Computers For The FBI

[NightHawkeye]

From the "Use Geek Squad at your own risk", files: Best Buy’s Geek Squad Techs Search Customer Computers For The FBI, Reports Claim

Digital rights non-profit Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit last year after it was discovered that the FBI allegedly paid Geek Squad employees to go through their client’s computers while they’re being repaired.
...
EFF says their FOIA request discovered that Geek Squad’s parent company, Best Buy, has been working with the FBI for at least 10 years.
...
Other court records uncovered in the FOIA search found that Geek Squad techs were paid between $500 and $1,000 to actively search a client’s computer.​

 

[bhsmte]

Did the FBI have search warrants? Are they claiming they didn't need them, because Geek squad had approval to search computer?

 

[Rion]

Did the FBI have search warrants? Are they claiming they didn't need them, because Geek squad had approval to search computer?

No, and yes. It first came out during the Vault 7 leaks.

 

[dgiharris]

Did the FBI have search warrants? Are they claiming they didn't need them, because Geek squad had approval to search computer?

probably some sort of legal grey area like what you hint at.

The government has the right to "ask" anyone to do anything.
The government also has the "right" to make that request "sound" ominous and official

It is up to the person being asked to say no.

The fact that Geek squad did this means I will never use their services nor will I use the services of any business that uses Geek squad.

 

[bhsmte]

No, and yes. It first came out during the Vault 7 leaks.

This should be interesting.

 

[bhsmte]

probably some sort of legal grey area like what you hint at.

The government has the right to "ask" anyone to do anything.
The government also has the "right" to make that request "sound" ominous and official

It is up to the person being asked to say no.

The fact that Geek squad did this means I will never use their services nor will I use the services of any business that uses Geek squad.

I would love to see a higher court rule on the legality of this. It smells to high heaven on the surface.

 

[Belk]

I have a whole bunch of questions about this. Did the FBI initiate this request or was it started by the techs when they found suspicious files? What was the specifics of "techs were paid between $500 and $1,000 to actively search a client’s computer"? What were the parameters of "working with the FBI"? While I find the idea troubling on the surface having worked in PC support for 25 years I think it much more likely there were some overzealous techs rather than on ongoing plot to circumvent the constitution.

 

[USincognito]

{sniff}

Hmmm, smells like another "FBI bad, Trump good" scenario.

 

[Goonie]

{sniff}

Hmmm, smells like another "FBI bad, Trump good" scenario.

Except that so long as it does not target him, I suspect Donald would support the FBIs tactics.

 

[bhsmte]

I have a whole bunch of questions about this. Did the FBI initiate this request or was it started by the techs when they found suspicious files? What was the specifics of "techs were paid between $500 and $1,000 to actively search a client’s computer"? What were the parameters of "working with the FBI"?

Agree.

But, even if it started with one person going to the FBI, it appears as though the FBI expanded the process.

The FBI needs a warrant to search a computer, the geek guys have permission, given by the owner. But, does this give the geek guys permission to pass information on to law enforcement, without a warrant? And last I checked, you need a warrant in place before you search, not after you find something.

 

[Belk]

Agree.

But, even if it started with one person going to the FBI, it appears as though the FBI expanded the process.

The FBI needs a warrant to search a computer, the geek guys have permission, given by the owner. But, does this give the geek guys permission to pass information on to law enforcement, without a warrant?

Yes. As a tech I can pass along anything I find to the police just as I could if I was a repairman who was invited to your home and saw something illegal. The police must then get a warrant to search the PC I believe.

And last I checked, you need a warrant in place before you search, not after you find something.

I believe they can search if they have "reasonable suspicion" but I do not know the exact parameters around that.

 

[mala]

Agree.

But, even if it started with one person going to the FBI, it appears as though the FBI expanded the process.

The FBI needs a warrant to search a computer, the geek guys have permission, given by the owner. But, does this give the geek guys permission to pass information on to law enforcement, without a warrant? And last I checked, you need a warrant in place before you search, not after you find something.

I've never used a service like geek squad because I'm able to fix hardware and software problems myself, thus I'm not aware of what sort of contractual agreement is given by the client to the squad.
Are you actually giving them permission to search your computer though? I've repaired a lot of computers and never had to do a file by file search of one to fix a problem.
The only scenarios I can think of where that would happen is if someone asked me to transfer files from one storage unit to another but again... that's just copying folders over almost all of the time.
The entire aspect of paying informants is rather skeezy. It opens the door for people to plant things on computers just to turn them in.

 

[hedrick]

I would love to see a higher court rule on the legality of this. It smells to high heaven on the surface.

I don't think there's any doubt that it's legal. The Constitution only protects us from the government. Legally, the FBI got a report of something suspicious on a computer. That forms a reasonable basis for a warrant. If there's a violation (and I think there is) it's on the part of Geek Squad.

But even there the line is gray. While repairing a computer, you may reasonably see a directory listing. Suppose there are names that are obviously suspicious. Perhaps some file name suggests child porn. Should you ignore it? I really don't know. I think I'd say that ethically a repairman should try to avoid seeing the contents of your disk, and if they do by accident, they shouldn't reveal it to anyone. But realistically, from time to time they might well see something that they have a duty to report.

My concern is that these repair people were looking for things to report. I think that's unethical. If the FBI was encouraging that, I don't know of any law it violates, but it's not what I'd expect from the FBI.

 

[bhsmte]

Yes. As a tech I can pass along anything I find to the police just as I could if I was a repairman who was invited to your home and saw something illegal. The police must then get a warrant to search the PC I believe.



I believe they can search if they have "reasonable suspicion" but I do not know the exact parameters around that.

They need probable cause.

The legal question would be, is getting that probable cause, from a geek tech guy, legal.

I don't know the answer to that question and whether, the FBI can instruct these people, to look for certain things.

 

[Belk]

They need probable cause.

The legal question would be, is getting that probable cause, from a geek tech guy, legal.

I don't know the answer to that question and whether, the FBI can instruct these people, to look for certain things.

My guess would be they can't instruct or pay best buy to initiate the search. That would make them government contractors subject to the same rules as the police. They can only accept information the when the techs initiate contact.

 

[Rion]

My guess would be they can't instruct or pay best buy to initiate the search. That would make them government contractors subject to the same rules as the police. They can only accept information the when the techs initiate contact.

PSST

FBI paid Geek Squad staff to be informants, documents show

 

[Rion]

{sniff}

Hmmm, smells like another "FBI bad, Trump good" scenario.

No one is talking about Trump except you.

 

[bhsmte]

PSST

FBI paid Geek Squad staff to be informants, documents show

Smelly.

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

I've always been so poor that I had to learn how to do all of my PC troubleshooting myself, now if only I could do the same with automobiles...

 

[Rion]

Smelly.

You think that's bad? The pedo doctor that they mention in the article? The case got thrown out because of this kind of thing.