Summary: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is expanding its online surveillance capabilities by investing $5.7 million in an AI-powered social media monitoring platform called Zignal Labs. This tool can analyze billions of public posts daily across multiple languages, potentially tracking individuals’ locations and activities. Civil liberties advocates warn this raises serious concerns about privacy, free speech, and the targeting of immigrant communities and activists.
ICE’s New AI-Powered Social Media Surveillance
As ICE continues its raids nationwide, the agency is rapidly enhancing its online surveillance system. Federal records obtained by The Lever reveal that ICE has contracted Zignal Labs, paying $5.7 million for access to its AI-driven social media monitoring platform. Will Owen, communications director at the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP), describes this move as an “assault” on democracy and free speech.
How Zignal Labs’ Technology Works
Zignal Labs offers a “real-time intelligence” platform capable of ingesting and analyzing vast amounts of publicly available data, including social media posts. According to a pamphlet shared by The Lever, the company uses machine learning, computer vision, and optical character recognition to process over 8 billion posts daily in more than 100 languages. This data is then sorted into “curated detection feeds” that ICE could use to flag individuals for deportation.
The platform can capture geolocated images and videos, providing alerts to operators. For example, Zignal Labs analyzed a Telegram video to determine the precise location of an ongoing operation in Gaza by identifying emblems and patches, enabling notifications to operators on the ground. This means ICE could potentially trace someone’s location based on geotagged content posted on platforms like TikTok or Facebook.
Broader Context of Social Media Surveillance
ICE procured this contract through Carahsoft, a firm that supplies IT solutions to government agencies. Zignal Labs has also worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the US Secret Service, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Transportation. While social media surveillance is not new—police used tools like Geofeedia in 2016 to track protesters—ICE’s substantial budget allows it to deploy advanced monitoring tools nationwide.
Concerns About Free Speech and Privacy
Will Owen warns that with billions of dollars to spend on spyware, ICE’s AI-driven social media monitoring could terrorize immigrant families and target activists opposing the agency’s actions. David Greene, civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, adds that automated monitoring enables the government to surveil dissenting viewpoints on a scale previously impossible, chilling free speech.
ICE’s Expanding Surveillance Workforce
Earlier reports from Wired indicate ICE plans to hire nearly 30 workers to monitor content across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, and other platforms. These workers would locate individuals deemed threats to national security or public safety, potentially tracking data about their family, friends, or coworkers to pinpoint locations. The workforce would be split between facilities in Vermont and California, with some staff required to be available at all times.
Government-Wide Social Media Monitoring Initiatives
Beyond ICE, other government agencies are expanding social media surveillance. Citizenship and Immigration Services proposed requiring citizenship and residency applicants to provide social media handles. The State Department has expanded social media data collection for visa applicants and launched AI-powered initiatives to identify posts supporting designated terror organizations. Recent visa revocations and arrests linked to social media posts highlight the growing reach of these efforts.
The Impact on Immigrant Communities and Activists
ICE’s use of AI-powered monitoring tools raises the stakes for immigrant communities and activists. The agency no longer relies solely on influencers or manual flagging to identify individuals; instead, automated systems can flag content and locations, increasing the risk of deportations and suppression of dissent. Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project, warns this partnership between Big Tech and the federal government threatens free speech and should alarm all Americans.
Looking Ahead: The Risks of AI Surveillance
With ICE’s growing investment in AI-driven social media surveillance, the balance between security and civil liberties faces new challenges. The scale and sophistication of these tools could lead to widespread chilling effects on free expression and privacy, particularly among vulnerable populations. Ongoing public scrutiny and advocacy will be essential to ensure transparency and protect democratic rights in the digital age.