Forbes.

According to an application for a court order filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on September 5, investigators want information on users of Obsidian 4, a tool used to control rifle scopes made by night-vision specialist American Technologies Network Corp. The app allows gun owners to get a live stream, take video and calibrate their gun scope from an Android or iPhone device. According to the Google Play page for Obsidian 4, it has more than 10,000 downloads. Apple doesn’t provide download numbers, so it’s unclear how many iPhone owners could be swept up in this latest government data grab.

If the court approves the demand, and Apple and Google decide to hand over the information, it could include data on thousands of people who have nothing to do with the crimes being investigated, privacy activists warned. Edin Omanovic, lead on Privacy International’s State Surveillance program, said it would set a dangerous precedent and scoop up “huge amounts of innocent people’s personal data.”

As always, the pretext is law enforcement.

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. As part of that, investigators are looking for a quick way to find out where the app is in use, as that will likely indicate where the hardware has been shipped.

First, I don’t believe it will be that easy regardless of what they say.  Second, let’s grant for the sake of argument that FedGov really is pursuing the data to enforce export control regulations.  I don’t care.  I have the same opinion on the matter as I do about SWAT teams busting down doors in an effort to find evidence of Marijuana sales before being flushed down the toilet.

I simply don’t care.  If you want to enforce that law, then find another way to get your evidence.  Or better yet, go find and deport illegals rather than worry about things like this.  In other words, go do something the constitution demands you do instead of stretching the boundaries of something you choose to do.

Third, I don’t for one second put past FedGov to lie to the bench in order to build databases of law abiding citizens of who owns what.

This is an all around bad precedent, and it portends very cold winds in the annals of the American police state.

For the time being, ATN has refused.

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.

Very well, but that’s not Apple or Google.  Do not trust Apple or Google.