According to a new report from Forbes, the Department of Justice is demanding Apple, Amazon, and Google hand over “identities, addresses, and purchase histories” of more than 100,000 users of a “car tinkering app” called EZ Lynk.
The report explains that EZ Lynk, based in the Cayman Islands, is embroiled in a DOJ case over alleged Clean Air Act Violations:
The DOJ first sued EZ Lynk in 2021, accusing the company of breaking the Clean Air Act by selling “defeat devices,” which are designed to remove emissions controls on a vehicle. EZ Lynk denies its primary purpose is to help drivers circumvent emissions laws, as its apps can be used for other tweaks and software upgrades, as well as to monitor a car’s performance.
The DOJ sent subpoenas to Apple and Google in March and April, according to a joint letter seen by Forbes.
In the letter, EZ Lynk’s lawyers say Apple and Google plan to challenge the request.
“These requests for potentially hundreds of thousands of people’s PII go well beyond the needs of this case and create serious privacy concerns,” wrote EZ Lynk’s lawyers in the letter. “Investigating this claim does not require identifying each person who has used the product.”
The government said in the letter its request for data was fair and appropriate, and it had “consistently sought customer information” because its lawyers want to interview witnesses about their use of EZ Lynk’s technology. It has already presented evidence to the court of people using the company’s tools to remove emissions controls on their cars, including Facebook and EZ Lynk forum posts outlining that use of the product.
The full report at Forbes has more details on the battle between the DOJ and EZ Lynk.
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