FBI Quietly Returns Anonymizing Server It Seized... Without Telling Anyone

from the but-the-whole-thing-was-caught-on-video dept

You may recall the uproar a few weeks ago when the FBI seized a server used by activists to keep their information anonymized. The server was used by Riseup Networks and May First/People Link. The FBI claimed it needed it as a part of an investigation into bomb threats at the University of Pittsburgh, but it was quite disruptive for lots of legitimate users. And, of course, seizing the server did nothing to stop the bomb threats, which kept coming.

However, the story is now getting more bizarre, as the FBI appears to have simply put the server back in the cabinet without telling anyone -- but the whole thing was caught on video (found via Slashdot).
The feds seem to be getting into a bit of a habit of seizing things through cluelessness and then sheepishly returning them later. Still, the folks who own the server are quite reasonably uncomfortable about using it again:

May First/People Link has removed the server from the facility and is in the process of analyzing it. The server will not be put back into production.

Filed Under: bomb threats, fbi, seizure, university of pittsburgh
Companies: may first/people link, riseup networks