Editing Indymedia (section)

===United States===
[[Image:Greek riot police reverse baton 12-3-07.jpg|thumb|A Greek [[riot police]]man wielding a baton towards an Athens Indymedia photographer during a protest at courts in [[Athens]], Greece]]
[[Image:Mexico moord Oaxaca is overal.jpg|thumb|An Indymedia banner protesting the [[Oaxaca]] shootings in the [[Netherlands]]]]
On October 7, 2004, the [[Federal Bureau Investigation]] took possession of several [[Server (computing)|server]] hard drives used by a number of IMCs and hosted by U.S.-based [[Rackspace]] Managed Hosting. The servers in question were located in the United Kingdom and managed by the British arm of Rackspace, but some 20 mainly European IMC websites were affected, and several unrelated websites were affected, including the website of a [[Linux distribution]].<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/08/1097089554894.html FBI seizes Indymedia servers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041101092924/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/08/1097089554894.html |date=November 1, 2004 }}, ''[[Sydney Morning Herald]], 2004-10-08</ref> Some, but not all, of the legal documents relating to the confiscation of the servers were unsealed by a Texas district court in August 2005, following legal action by the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]]. The documents revealed that the only action requested by the government was to surrender server log files.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2005/08/02|title=Secret Documents About Indymedia Server Disappearance Unsealed|date=August 2, 2005|access-date=November 30, 2012|archive-date=November 3, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103134629/https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2005/08/02|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>John Lettice, [https://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/08/03/indymedia_texas_docs_unsealed/ ''US court files reveal Italian link to Indymedia server grab''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810131626/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/08/03/indymedia_texas_docs_unsealed/ |date=August 10, 2017 }}, The Register, August 3, 2005, Retrieved August 25, 2005</ref>

The move was condemned by the [[International Federation of Journalists]], who stated that, "The way this has been done smacks more of intimidation of legitimate journalistic inquiry than crime-busting" and called for an investigation.<ref>[http://www.ifj.org/en/articles/more-intimidation-than-crime-busting-says-ifj-as-police-target-independent-media-network ''"More Intimidation Than Crime-Busting" Says IFJ As Police Target Independent Media Network''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206025407/http://www.ifj.org/en/articles/more-intimidation-than-crime-busting-says-ifj-as-police-target-independent-media-network |date=February 6, 2009 }}, IFJ press release, October 8, 2004, Retrieved August 28, 2007</ref> European civil liberties organization [[Statewatch]] and the [[World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters]] (AMARC) also voiced criticism.<ref>[http://www.statewatch.org/news/2004/oct/04uk-usa-indymedia.htm ''Was the seizure of Indymedia's servers in London unlawful or did the UK government collude? ''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041013012438/http://www.statewatch.org/news/2004/oct/04uk-usa-indymedia.htm |date=October 13, 2004 }}, Statewatch Press release, October 2004, Retrieved August 25, 2007</ref><ref>[http://www.ifex.org/united_kingdom/2004/10/08/fbi_seizes_indymedia_servers_in/ ''FBI seizes Indymedia servers in the United Kingdom''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928060333/http://www.ifex.org/united_kingdom/2004/10/08/fbi_seizes_indymedia_servers_in/ |date=September 28, 2011 }}, bulletin, October 8, 2004, Retrieved August 28, 2007</ref> EFF attorney Kurt Opsahl compared the case with ''[[Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service]]''.<ref name="WhoNabbed">[http://www.salon.com/2004/11/09/indymedia/ Who nabbed Indymedia's computers? The freewheeling network of Web sites has a history of clashing with authority. But usually it knows who is trying to shut it up.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427214408/http://www.salon.com/2004/11/09/indymedia/ |date=April 27, 2015 }} By Mathew Honan, Nov 9, 2004</ref>

New York–based journalist and Indymedia volunteer [[Bradley Roland Will]] was killed in October 2006 along with two Mexican protesters in the city of [[Oaxaca, Oaxaca|Oaxaca]]. People had been demonstrating in the city since May as part of an [[2006 Oaxaca protests|uprising]] prompted by a teachers strike. Reporters Without Borders condemned the actions of the Mexican government in allowing the accused gunmen to go free.<ref>[https://rsf.org/en/news/two-suspects-cameraman-brad-wills-murder-freed-lack-evidence ''Two suspects in cameraman Brad Will's murder freed for lack of evidence''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128065625/https://rsf.org/en/news/two-suspects-cameraman-brad-wills-murder-freed-lack-evidence |date=January 28, 2022 }}, RSF press release, December 5, 2006, Retrieved August 25, 2007</ref>

On January 30, 2009, one of the system administrators of the server that hosts indymedia.us received a grand jury subpoena from the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana|Southern District of Indiana]] federal court. The subpoena asked the administrator to provide all "[[IP address]]es, times, and any other identifying information" for every visitor to the site on June 25, 2008.<ref name="subpoena">Electronic Frontier Foundation [https://www.eff.org/wp/anatomy-bogus-subpoena-indymedia "Anatomy of a Bogus Subpoena"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223044231/https://www.eff.org/wp/anatomy-bogus-subpoena-indymedia |date=February 23, 2017 }}, Retrieved on 2009-11-11.</ref> The subpoena also included a [[gag order]] that stated that the recipient is "not to disclose the existence of this request unless authorized by the Assistant U.S. Attorney."<ref name="subpoena" /> The administrator of indymedia.us could not have provided the information because Indymedia sites generally do not keep IP address logs. The [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]] determined that there was no legal basis for the gag order, and that the subpoena request "violated the [[Stored Communications Act|SCA's]] restrictions on what types of data the government could obtain using a subpoena."<ref name="subpoena" /> Under [[Reporter's privilege#Department of Justice guidelines (United States)|Justice Department guidelines]], subpoenas to news media must have the authorization of the attorney general. According to a CBS News blog, the subpoena of indymedia.us was never submitted to the Attorney General for review.<ref name="cbs">Declan McCullagh [http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/09/taking_liberties/entry5595506.shtml "Justice Dept. Asked For News Site's Visitor Lists"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091111123120/http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/09/taking_liberties/entry5595506.shtml |date=November 11, 2009 }}, Retrieved on 2009-11-11.</ref> On February 25, 2009, a United States Attorney sent a letter to an attorney with the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]] stating that the subpoena had been withdrawn.<ref name="cbs" />