[Ahmes]

These "gift" investigations and the game theory behind them are somewhat troubling.

Most medium to large sized technology companies that get big enough to attract parasites will gladly cooperate with an investigating authority (such as the FBI) and turn over user activity records without much of a stink in exchange for a future favor down the road rather than hold their ground and demand warrants, subpoenas and the rest of the 9 yards.

If you promise to aid the FBI into perpetuity, they will on occasion nail some malicious user that's giving you a hard time - like that 16 year old from Des Moines who is submitting stolen credit cards (that were found on twitter via @NeedADebitCard, naturally) to pay for your merchandise and giving you a headache in chargeback fees.

It's a cool superpower but it's probably not doing much to address the root of your problems.

Worse, it quickly turns the FBI into a sort of protection racket for the Fortune 5000.