Disclosure: I'm long GOOG.

Google (or any other company) has to release private information of their users if they receive a subpoena. That's been the law for a while. Those whom have challenged that have lost in court pretty consistently.

I have no idea what "Cheney-PatriotAct Liberals" are. In those days, a lot of political talk occurred on Atheist Fools, and all the liberal voices there were adamant in their opposition to the Patriot Act. To this day I am opposed to it, and I think the courts got it wrong allowing the Act to be in force (there were numerous lawsuits, most of them failed). It should be voided, Gitmo should be closed, etc. The PA was -and is- illegal, but we do it anyway.

Google is having issues with the EU. They've already lost some judgments, though I'm unaware of any plans to breakup yet. The EU may force it if Google wants to do business in the EU. I think the US will be slower about this, but may end up on the breakup bandwagon. Which is fine by me...as long as Google gets due process, that's what matters. I have no idea how that will affect my stock holdings.

I have been a bit disappointed that their "do no evil" guiding value seems to be less prominent, and I was very disappointed when they acquiesced to Chinese demands that Google censor results for Chinese users. They definitely should have said "no". Another of their values/objectives was to provide unadulterated information. Censorship is contrary to that.