On July 16, 2025, Magistrate Judge Virginia K. DeMarchi of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted plaintiff Christopher J. Cordova’s ex parte application for early discovery. The order authorizes service of a subpoena on Google LLC d/b/a YouTube to identify the operator of the Frauditor Troll channel.
The Court held that Cordova had shown good cause for expedited discovery under UMG Recording, Inc. v. Doe, 2008 WL 4104214 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 3, 2008), and Columbia Ins. Co. v. Seescandy.com, 185 F.R.D. 573 (N.D. Cal. 1999). The order requires YouTube to notify the affected user(s) and permits objections or a motion for protective order.
See also Cordova v. Huneault, 25-cv-04685-VKD, 2025 WL 2535104 (N.D. Cal. July 16, 2025).