Feds Order Apple And Google To Hand Over Names Of 10,000+ Users Of A Gun Scope App

Own a rifle? Got a scope to go with it? The government might soon know who you are, where you live and how to reach you.

That’s because Apple and Google have been ordered by the U.S. government to hand over names, phone numbers and other identifying data of at least 10,000 users of a single gun scope app, Forbes has discovered. It’s an unprecedented move: Never before has a case been disclosed in which American investigators demanded personal data of users of a single app from Apple and Google. And never has an order been made public where the feds have asked the Silicon Valley giants for info on so many thousands of people in one go.

Feds Order Apple And Google To Hand Over Names Of 10,000+ Users Of A Gun Scope App

I do not own this particular brand of scope as I put my trust in Trijicon (I have an ACOG, MRO, and an Accupoint) but apparently the Feds are now demanding that both Google and Apple turn over information regarding users that have downloaded the app that is associated with these scopes.

American Technologies Network Corp and the App called Obsidian 4 allows users of the bluetooth enabled scopes to live stream, calibrate and record what they see. The government claiming export violations wants all of the data on whoever d/l the app in order to track down where it is being used to see IF there are violations.

Based on my experience Google will roll over and Apple will fight it. But they have zero evidence of wrong doing and the company IS not under investigation but want all of the data anyway. SO much for due process and it really highlights the danger of our data. Its a fishing expedition pure and simple

I downloaded the offending app but lacking a actual scope it does not do alot LOL but I may check them out down the road if I need another optic

Apple and Google have been told to hand over not just the names of anyone who downloaded the scope app from August 1, 2017 to the current date, but their telephone numbers and IP addresses too, which could be used to determine the location of the user. The government also wants to know when users were operating the app.www.forbes.com... #61fa6c4d6135

a reply to: FredT

I expect this will land before the Supreme Court rather quickly.

a reply to: FredT

It's crazy. And silencers and suppressors in Michigan are legal...

originally posted by: randomtangentsrme
a reply to: FredT

I expect this will land before the Supreme Court rather quickly.

Any from Apples end. Google seems all too willing to bed down

Google won't last. It's been crapping in cyber space since 1998

Google

originally posted by: FredT

originally posted by: randomtangentsrme
a reply to: FredT

I expect this will land before the Supreme Court rather quickly.

Any from Apples end. Google seems all too willing to bed down

They want to beat Amazon for the Pentagon's cloud contract.

a reply to: FredT

“The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department is seeking information as part of a broad investigation into possible breaches of weapons export regulations. It’s looking into illegal exports of ATN’s scope, though the company itself isn’t under investigation, according to the order.”

You could atleast post why lol

a reply to: JustJohnny

I did. 750 characters for quoted news source and in the body of my text explained they were looking for illegal exporting

I'm on a break, so don't have time to research.

Is this another China thing?

Where are they coming from? We know the Fentanal has been coming from China.

?

originally posted by: crappiekat
I'm on a break, so don't have time to research.

Is this another China thing?

Where are they coming from? We know the Fentanal has been coming from China.

?

Then why post? Are you in the right thread? The scopes are made by a US Company HQ'd in the SF Bay Area according to the website. Nothing to do with China

a reply to: FredT

if i had to guess id assume the member was actually asking about if the scopes were some how ending up in china in violation of the export ban that exists on most night vision and thermal scopes due to fears that less advanced nations will use them to advance their own tech? i know next to nothing on the level of Chinese thermal/night vision but i would assume the tech south of the border is lacking compared to ours at least so that is where id assume they are worried they are ending up

originally posted by: RalagaNarHallas
a reply to: FredT

if i had to guess id assume the member was actually asking about if the scopes were some how ending up in china in violation of the export ban that exists on most night vision and thermal scopes due to fears that less advanced nations will use them to advance their own tech? i know next to nothing on the level of Chinese thermal/night vision but i would assume the tech south of the border is lacking compared to ours at least so that is where id assume they are worried they are ending up

Thank you yes, That was where I was going.

a reply to: FredT
I'm so sorry you took my post as offense. I meant no disrespect to you. We here at ATS are a family, and we respect each other. Please be suportive of myself and others. We are all just expressing our thoughts and feelings. Be Nice! Thank you for your reply, and I hope you have a nice evening ☺

How many times with the relatively few mass-murders, and thousands killed one-at-a-time, was a SCOPE involved?

a reply to: carewemust

Supposedly, it's about tracking the illegal export of the scopes to external countries. The scopes are covered under arms control, and cannot be freely exported to other countries without proper licencing, etc...

The Feds expect to find the list of people using it giving them the ability to track down where these scopes are around the world.

The problem with the request is that is is a very very large fishing net. It is not specific to turning over info on app buyers OUTSIDE this country. Also, obtaining this info is in essence treating those people as criminal before the fact, ie, "thought crimes".

a reply to: carewemust

off the top of my head the Texas bell tower shooting ,Vegas guy had a scope or two(but he was firing from an elevated position) the new Zealand shooter had a few scopes(red dots?) and the DC sniper and of course Kennedy assassination . i dont think this is related to the mass shooting issue more of import export restrictions. But the scopes are capable of live streaming so i guess it could be a part of it as that was one of the things that made the nz shooting a lot worse as it was all live streamed by a go pro(not a scope though) . id imagine the federal government would be a bit more worried about the cartel getting these scopes as they are really easy to zero with the app and the more expensive ones can incorporate a windage and lazer range finder

www.atncorp.com...

www.youtube.com... example of one of the scopes they sell


and a review of the app in question they want the data on www.youtube.com...

out of my price range but it does look to make sighting in a rifle a one shot affair (so they claim) and if you get it with all the bells and whistles it could help turn a mediocre shooter into a better one and make it a lot easier for a experienced expert to hit what they are aiming at so not exactly what we want getting out of the country and into the hands of the criminal/terrorist element let alone into lesser militarie's hands

americanmilitarynews.com...

Following initial reporting on the government demand from Apple and Google of user data for the Obsidian 4 app, ATN stated on Friday that they were not aware of the government’s request for information from the tech giants until a Forbes article broke the story. ATN advised they would not be turning over user information to the DOJ unless required by law. “ATN has not been contacted by the Department of Justice, Apple, or Google,” the company said in a statement to American Military News on Friday. “ATN will protect its customers and their identifying data to the absolute extent possible under U.S. law. And, it will not provide any information regarding the identity of our customers to any third party unless specifically required by law,” the statement continued. The turnover of data could affect up to 10,000 app users who have downloaded the app through the Apple Store and Google Play.

so the company responded and seem to want to keep the data private while attempting to stay in compliance with us law

and a further snippet

Before the court documents were sealed, Forbes reported that part of the court order alleges the company’s scopes have been found in shipments to Hong Kong, Canada and The Netherlands but have not had the necessary import licenses required by the International Traffic in Arms Regulation. A report published by the Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium also claims the scopes in question had made it into the hands of Taliban fighters.

so scopes ended up in Hong Kong Canada and Netherlands and apparently also into the hands of the Taliban , i would assume that its not the streaming capability they are worried about

a reply to: FredT

They Should Also Hand Over All the Covert Surveillance Data they Secretly Collected form those Individuals while in the Process of Violating their 4th Amendment Rights Too ........