"ICE more than tripled the amount of data it stored in Microsoft's Azure cloud platform in the six months leading up to January 2026, a period in which the agency's budget swelled and its workforce rapidly expanded, according to the files. ICE appears to be using a range of Microsoft's productivity tools, as well as AI-driven products, to search and analyse the data it holds in Azure. Files suggest some of the agency's own tools and systems may also be running on Microsoft servers."
"In July, ICE received a $75bn budget increase, making it the highest-funded US law enforcement body. With this unprecedented increase in funds, the agency has embarked on a spending spree on technology, awarding contracts to large firms such as Palantir alongside lesser-known providers. ICE, which has been likened to a domestic surveillance agency, enjoys access to vast troves of data on people living in the US. It has a growing arsenal of surveillance technology, including facial recognition apps, phone location databases, drones and invasive spyware."
ICE deepened reliance on Microsoft's cloud technology while ramping up arrest and deportation operations through 2025 and into January 2026. The agency more than tripled the amount of data stored in Microsoft's Azure cloud platform in the six months leading up to January 2026 as its budget swelled and workforce expanded. ICE uses Microsoft productivity and AI-driven products to search and analyse data held in Azure, and some agency tools and systems appear to run on Microsoft servers. In July, ICE received a $75bn budget increase and expanded technology spending, awarding contracts to firms including Palantir, Amazon, and Microsoft while growing its surveillance capabilities.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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