US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is reaching out to tech companies for information about tools that can help manage and analyze the vast amounts of data it collects. The agency, which works on a wide range of investigations, including those related to immigration and national security, wants to know more about "commercial Big Data and Ad Tech" products that could support its investigative activities.
According to a request for information posted in the Federal Register, ICE is looking at "existing and emerging" tools that are comparable to those used by large providers of investigative data and legal/risk analytics. This includes products that use big data and location data, which can include details about devices, apps, browsing activity, and other information.
The agency's interest in commercial Ad Tech companies comes as part of a broader trend of using technology for law enforcement and surveillance. In recent years, ICE has purchased licenses to use tools like Venntel, which collects consumer location data, and Webloc, which can gather information about mobile phones used within specific areas.
A spokesperson for ICE said the request was solely for informational purposes and that the agency uses technology to support investigations while respecting civil liberties and privacy interests. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This move highlights how tools originally developed for digital advertising and other commercial purposes are increasingly being considered by the government for law enforcement and surveillance. As protests against immigration enforcement operations escalate, ICE's efforts to gather more information on technology that could aid in investigations has raised concerns about the use of data collection and surveillance powers.
According to a request for information posted in the Federal Register, ICE is looking at "existing and emerging" tools that are comparable to those used by large providers of investigative data and legal/risk analytics. This includes products that use big data and location data, which can include details about devices, apps, browsing activity, and other information.
The agency's interest in commercial Ad Tech companies comes as part of a broader trend of using technology for law enforcement and surveillance. In recent years, ICE has purchased licenses to use tools like Venntel, which collects consumer location data, and Webloc, which can gather information about mobile phones used within specific areas.
A spokesperson for ICE said the request was solely for informational purposes and that the agency uses technology to support investigations while respecting civil liberties and privacy interests. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This move highlights how tools originally developed for digital advertising and other commercial purposes are increasingly being considered by the government for law enforcement and surveillance. As protests against immigration enforcement operations escalate, ICE's efforts to gather more information on technology that could aid in investigations has raised concerns about the use of data collection and surveillance powers.
, i mean i get it, they need info to do their job, but come on, this is like ice just using ad tech companies like it's no big deal 
, we're already living in a world where our internet activity is being tracked and used against us, now the government wants more? 
, what's next? them wanting access to all our social media accounts too? 
, i mean yeah, they say it's for investigations but let's be real, it's gonna end up being used to monitor us as well... 
I know the agency says it's just for investigations, but trust me, it feels sketchy when they're talking to tech companies like that. It's like, we already have enough tracking going on in our daily lives with ads and social media... do we really need the government snooping around too? 
I'm not saying no to transparency or anything, but at least there should be some guidelines in place to make sure this isn't abused. What if this leads to more people being targeted for questioning or detention? That's a pretty big concern for me...
I'm totally fine with companies sharing info with ICE, but come on guys! 
i'm not saying it's all bad, but the more i think about it, the more i wanna know where my data is going 
... think about it, these tech companies are creating tools to help us navigate ads on the web, but now ICE wants those same tools for something way more serious - tracking people's movements, browsing history, and device info 
. It's like we're playing a game of cat and mouse, where ICE is always one step ahead of us, but at what cost? 
. I mean, isn't that just a fancy way of saying we should be worried about our private lives being tracked without consent?
.
And then there's the whole thing about collecting consumer location data and browsing activity...that's some pretty invasive stuff right there.
i'm so worried about this 
they're looking for tools to help them analyze all our data, which is just creepy 
i mean, what's next? are they gonna start monitoring our social media too? 
how can we trust the gov to use this info for good when it could easily be misused 
stuff? I don't trust gov agencies as far as I can throw 'em 
. If they're really that transparent, why are we even talking about this in the first place? 
Like, how many times do I have to see a gov agency say that before I believe 'em?