If you’re caught Googling

In 2013, Michele Catalano and her husband, living in Long Island, New York, found themselves unexpectedly visited by police after conducting seemingly harmless Google searches. Michele had looked up pressure cookers while her husband searched for backpacks on his work computer—coincidentally shortly after the Boston Marathon bombing, where pressure cookers were used as explosives hidden in backpacks. The searches raised red flags, and when the husband left his job, the company’s IT department flagged the activity and reported it to local authorities.

Soon after, several black SUVs arrived at their home, alarming the couple. Michele recounted the surreal moment on her blog, describing how her husband was blocked from leaving the driveway. The police, suspecting potential bomb-making research, found nothing more than a worried couple. Suffolk County police confirmed they were acting on a tip from a local computer company. Michele reflected on the experience with anxiety and frustration over the lack of privacy, humorously adding she’d never shop online for pressure cookers again. The incident highlighted how everyday online activity can sometimes be misinterpreted in a world increasingly sensitive to security threats.