Miranda Detention

The case of Edward Snowden and those connected to it has been global news since the NSA leaks he is responsible for broke in May. As a result, many countries, including Brazil, have increased government talks on their internet security and policies.

The latest news involves David Miranda, the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, who was responsible for denouncing American and British surveillance programs based on Edward Snowden’s disclosure of information.

On Sunday, August 18, Miranda was on his way home to Brazil and Berlin, Germany, when he was detained and searched at Heathrow airport in Britain. He was questioned for over nine hours by officials under the Terrorism Act but was released without charges.

While the British government stands by its actions, Miranda is seeking legal action. His argument is that police illegally seized data from him and wants to ensure they are unable to access it until after a judge is able to hear his claim.

“We are most concerned about the unlawful way in which these powers were used and the chilling effect this will have on freedom of expression,” Kate Goold, of the law firm Bindmans, which is representing Miranda, told CNN.

Brazilian authorities are also coming to Miranda’s aid, claiming that there is no justifiable reason for the interrogation. No weapons or sensitive information was found on his person and he was threatened with jail time if he didn’t cooperate. While terrorist activity needs to be halted it is disturbing to know that there are apparently no limits on what authorities can do to fight this supposed threat.