Google Tussles With Brazilian Prosecutors over Orkut

Google is in trouble with prosecutors in Brazil over its Orkut social networking site.  Orkut is very popular in Brazil, with some 16 million users.  Prosecutors say that Google is withholding information about members, and that action is thwarting criminal investigations revolving around drugs and child pornography.  They are seeking fines of $61 million to punish the search engine for ignoring court orders.

Google for its part says that it has complied with all the orders from the Brazilian courts.  Some of the dispute centers around the form of the data to be provided and where it should originate.  Google says that the servers that host the information are in the United States and the requests should be directed to the parent company rather than the Brazilian subsidiary. Google Brasil Internet Ltda.  The Brazilian unit does not retain user information.

Google has removed inappropriate content when asked.  The company has also petitioned the court to appoint master who would determine whether Google has complied or not. 

Current details are in at the BBC, Bloomberg, and the Sydney Morning Herald.