A woman has shared four words you should avoid Googling if you want to steer clear of unexpected police attention.
In 2013, Michele Catalano and her husband, from Long Island, New York, were searching online for everyday items when their innocent activity took an unexpected turn. Reflecting on the experience in her blog, Michele explained that certain online searches could create “a perfect storm of terrorism profiling.”
Michele, a freelance writer, was looking to buy a pressure cooker, while her husband was searching for a new backpack. Each carried out individual searches, assuming it was no cause for alarm. However, two days later, her husband searched for both items using his work computer, just before leaving his job.
The IT department flagged these searches and reported them to local police, prompting concern due to the recent Boston Marathon bombing, which had involved homemade pressure cooker bombs. On April 15, 2013, two devices detonated near the race’s finish line, causing three fatalities and injuring hundreds, including 17 people who lost limbs.
After the flagged search, several black SUVs arrived at the Catalanos’ home, as authorities aimed to rule out any potential threat. Michele later recounted her husband’s shock as he saw “three black SUVs in front of our house; two at the curb in front and one positioned behind my husband’s Jeep in the driveway, as if to block him from leaving.”
In light of this experience, Michele advised others not to search the phrases “pressure cooker” and “bomb” alongside the term “backpack,” noting it could inadvertently raise suspicions. Suffolk County police later issued a statement confirming that their Criminal Intelligence detectives had responded to a tip from a local company about unusual searches conducted by a former employee.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Michele shared her unease on her blog, writing: “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.”
She added humorously, “All I know is if I’m going to buy a pressure cooker in the near future, I’m not doing it online. I’m scared. And not of the right things.”
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