How does the government go about leaking someone's search history if they don't comply? Like I'm sure that they can get the information, but they really can only blackmail if it's something sketchy enough to be tangentially arrestable, otherwise they're either certifying the search queries are legitimate in the press release or arresting my favorite podcaster on charges of "really fucking weird kinks".

[–] Lowleekun@hexbear.net 13 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Having another podcaster/media unveil it

[–] christian@hexbear.net 12 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

My point is that you could do that exact same thing with fictional search queries and no one would have any way of discerning the two situations. The only ones with the authority to confirm legitimacy are the government and google, and it's in the interest of neither of them to do that for something this insignificant.

[–] Lowleekun@hexbear.net 1 points 4 weeks ago

Sure but how many people still believe that their system produces reliable information and is at least somewhat bound by laws? To me it seems too many so blackmailing still works okay-ish. You have to know your target and if you have enough information (which is easy) you know what works.

[–] chgxvjh@hexbear.net 5 points 4 weeks ago

At the very least the kind of stuff could fuel years of leftist infighting, not that we would need any help.

[–] gay_king_prince_charles@hexbear.net 4 points 4 weeks ago

They can just post it on X the everything app, who's going to stop them?