There are certainly some search terms that might raise a red flag and lead to unwanted attention, but I’m definitely not going to experiment with them for an article!
Luckily, one woman did the experimenting when she discovered that typing four specific words consecutively into Google would almost certainly result in law enforcement knocking at your door.
If you’re trying to guess the words or their subject matter, you’re likely off track… I certainly was. It’s not sexual in nature, and it doesn’t involve children.
This event occurred in Long Island, New York, back in 2013, and the responses that Michele Catalano’s seemingly innocent Google search prompted were astonishing to her and her husband.
Amused by the situation, Catalano shared her experience on her blog. She stated: “Googling of certain things was creating a perfect storm of terrorism profiling.”
The search terms were entered a couple of days apart on her husband’s work computer. Given New York’s history with terror attacks, this activity was alarming to his employer.
The searches were noted by IT personnel, who opted to alert the Suffolk County Police Department about the peculiar behavior originating from Catalano’s address.
Law enforcement promptly descended upon their home, searching for any evidence tied to terrorism.
So, what were these concerning searches?
As previously noted, the searches were executed days apart. Separate searches for ‘pressure cooker’ and ‘backpacks’ made someone quite nervous, possibly due to fears of bomb-making research.
To avoid police visits, it’s advisable not to search for ‘pressure cooker bomb’ in conjunction with ‘backpack’.
There may have been some tension between the employee and his former workplace, as indicated by a Suffolk County police statement following the raid.
The statement read: “Suffolk County Criminal Intelligence detectives received a tip from a Bay Shore-based computer company regarding suspicious computer searches conducted by a recently released employee.”
While it was ultimately just a matter of looking for a new pressure cooker and backpack, the incident understandably left Catalano feeling unsettled.
She recounted on her blog: “Mostly I felt a great sense of anxiety. This is where we are at. Where you have no expectation of privacy. Where trying to learn how to cook some lentils could possibly land you on a watch list.”
Now that you’re informed, exercise caution with your Google searches!