I note with amazement that tons of hn users with zero legal experience, let alone judge experience, are sure its the judge who doesn't understand, not them. Based on what I don't know but they really are sure they get it more than the judge!
It is highly likely that this is not confined to just software, I'm sure other engineering or complex disciplines feel the same way about their discipline.
How do we have experts inform these decisions without falling into the trap of lobbying where the rich control the political and legal sphere?
Anyway, I cede you the point that the US law does not match my "common sense" esp around this 3rd party rule mentioned in other comments. It kind of sucks that US "winning the internet" means that even non-US citizens are subject to US law in this regard.
It's OK to say "don't throw out a few pieces of paper for a bit", but that doesn't compare to "please spend $500k/month more on S3 bills until whenever we get around to hearing the rest of the case". (Perhaps that much money isn't that important to either side in this _particular_ case, but there is a cost to all this data retention stuff).
A judicial system populated by people who don't understand what's possible is a real issue.
However the risk of data being leaked, or data being requested through a gag order, cannot be ignored.
That said I don't think the arguments were made, the judge is right to dismiss arguments that don't address these nuances.
I wonder what the precedent with google searches is.
You can count on the fact that the judge does in fact understand that this is a very routine part of such a process.
It is more like the users of ChatGpt don't understand the implication of giving "the cloud" sensitive information and what can happen to it.
It might surprise many such users the extent that the data they casually place at the hands of giant third parties can be, and has routinely, been the target of successful subpoena.
As an illustration, if two huge companies sue each other, part of the legal process involves disclosure. This means inhaling vast quantities of data from their data stores, their onsite servers, executives laptops. Including those laptops that have Ashley Madison data on them. Of course, part of the legal process is motions to exclude this and that, but that may well be after the data is extracted.
For understanding of this topic, pay attention to what DannyBee says https://www.hackerneue.com/item?id=44361478 and not what HN users wish were true.