When I took a digital forensics course about ten years ago, the instructor (who'd been in the field since the 80s) said that in the US, if one finds suspected C

When I took a digital forensics course about ten years ago, the instructor (who'd been in the field since the 80s) said that in the US, if one finds suspected CSAM on a device they're examining for any reason (forensics, tech support, etc.) the only legally-advisable choice is to immediately suspend all work and contact the FBI, because not doing so can be considered a felony. He also said that even if one does that, it's likely that all of the equipment that was ever connected to the device will be confiscated along with it, and might not be returned for a very long time. I.e. if you run a small forensics shop, have at least two of each piece of hardware in different locations so the confiscation doesn't put you out of business. So while I feel like Google's reaction was extreme, and they should have unlocked his account after being provided with confirmation by the doctor, I suspect they were just doing their best to comply with US law.