"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has published a request for information for private-sector contractors to launch a round-the-clock social media monitoring program. The request states that private contractors will be paid to comb through "Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, VK, Flickr, Myspace, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Reddit, WhatsApp, YouTube, etc.," turning public posts into enforcement leads that feed directly into ICE's databases."
"dozens of analysts working in shifts, strict deadlines measured in minutes, a tiered system of prioritizing high-risk individuals, and the latest software keeping constant watch. I am a researcher who studies the intersection of data governance, digital technologies and the U.S. federal government. I believe that the ICE request for information also signals a concerning if logical next step in a longer trend, one that moves the U.S. border from the physical world into the digital."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a request for information to hire private contractors for a 24/7 social media monitoring program. Contractors would collect public posts across major platforms and convert them into enforcement leads for ICE databases. The envisioned operation includes dozens of analysts working in shifts, tight deadlines measured in minutes, automated tools, and a tiered system to prioritize high-risk individuals. The program builds on existing ICE tools like SocialNet and contracts such as Zignal Labs. Customs and Border Protection also searches social media on devices, extending immigration enforcement into digital spaces.
Read at Truthout
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