ICE 'Now Operates As a Domestic Surveillance Agency,' Think Tank Says (engadget.com) 76
Although it's supposed to be restricted by surveillance rules at local, state and federal levels, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has built up a mass surveillance system that includes details on almost all US residents, according to a report from a major think tank. Engadget reports: Researchers from Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy and Technology said ICE "now operates as a domestic surveillance agency" and that it was able to bypass regulations in part by purchasing databases from private companies. "Since its founding in 2003, ICE has not only been building its own capacity to use surveillance to carry out deportations but has also played a key role in the federal government's larger push to amass as much information as possible about all of our lives," the report's authors state. "By reaching into the digital records of state and local governments and buying databases with billions of data points from private companies, ICE has created a surveillance infrastructure that enables it to pull detailed dossiers on nearly anyone, seemingly at any time."
The researchers spent two years looking into ICE to put together the extensive report, which is called "American Dragnet: Data-Driven Deportation in the 21st Century." They obtained information by filing hundreds of freedom of information requests and scouring more than 100,000 contracts and procurement records. The agency is said to be using data from the Department of Motor Vehicles and utility companies, along with the likes of call records, child welfare records, phone location data, healthcare records and social media posts. ICE is now said to hold driver's license data for 74 percent of adults and can track the movement of cars in cities that are home to 70 percent of the adult population in the US.
The study shows that ICE, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has already used facial recognition technology to search through driver's license photos of a third of adults in the US. In 2020, the agency signed a deal with Clearview AI to use that company's controversial technology. In addition, the report states that when 74 percent of adults hook up gas, electricity, phone or internet utilities in a new residence, ICE was able to automatically find out their updated address. The authors wrote that ICE is able to carry out these actions in secret and without warrants. Along with the data it acquired from other government departments, utilities, private companies and third-party data brokers, "the power of algorithmic tools for sorting, matching, searching and analysis has dramatically expanded the scope and regularity of ICE surveillance," the report states. The agency spent around $2.8 billion on "new surveillance, data collection and data-sharing initiatives," according to the report. Approximately $569 million was spent on data analsys, including $186.6 million in contracts with Plantir Technologies.
"ICE also spent more than $1.3 billion on geolocation tech during that timeframe and $389 million on telecom interception, which includes tech that helps the agency track someone's phone calls, emails, social media activity and real-time internet use," adds Engadget.
The researchers spent two years looking into ICE to put together the extensive report, which is called "American Dragnet: Data-Driven Deportation in the 21st Century." They obtained information by filing hundreds of freedom of information requests and scouring more than 100,000 contracts and procurement records. The agency is said to be using data from the Department of Motor Vehicles and utility companies, along with the likes of call records, child welfare records, phone location data, healthcare records and social media posts. ICE is now said to hold driver's license data for 74 percent of adults and can track the movement of cars in cities that are home to 70 percent of the adult population in the US.
The study shows that ICE, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has already used facial recognition technology to search through driver's license photos of a third of adults in the US. In 2020, the agency signed a deal with Clearview AI to use that company's controversial technology. In addition, the report states that when 74 percent of adults hook up gas, electricity, phone or internet utilities in a new residence, ICE was able to automatically find out their updated address. The authors wrote that ICE is able to carry out these actions in secret and without warrants. Along with the data it acquired from other government departments, utilities, private companies and third-party data brokers, "the power of algorithmic tools for sorting, matching, searching and analysis has dramatically expanded the scope and regularity of ICE surveillance," the report states. The agency spent around $2.8 billion on "new surveillance, data collection and data-sharing initiatives," according to the report. Approximately $569 million was spent on data analsys, including $186.6 million in contracts with Plantir Technologies.
"ICE also spent more than $1.3 billion on geolocation tech during that timeframe and $389 million on telecom interception, which includes tech that helps the agency track someone's phone calls, emails, social media activity and real-time internet use," adds Engadget.
You know it's almost as if (Score:5, Interesting)
If you want illegal immigration to stop, hell if you just want immigration in general to stop the way you do it is by allowing the rest of the world to modernize. As soon as that happens birth rates plummet and countries aren't going to allow their shrinking population of young people to immigrate. As birth rates drop young people rapidly become a valuable and scarce resource.
I'm not going to sit here and argue the merits or demerits of immigration. I know damn well that bigotry is used by the ruling elites to control us and I know that the left wing is banking on diversity to break down bigotry so that we can have a more free society. I know what my side is up to and I also know it's not going to work unless we continue to fuck up South America and Mexico which I don't think anyone on my side wants.
So instead I'm going to say this to the people on the other side you want to stop immigration: you don't need to build the wall, you just have to stop sending the CIA down south to assassinate people Coca-Cola don't like. Leave Mexico and Brazil and Argentina and all those little shithole countries alone to modernize and then you don't have to put up with the immigrants you don't want to see. And their countries won't be shitholes anymore. It's a win-win way I see it and then we can shut down ice and you can stop voting for fascists
Re: (Score:2)
people who were depositing stacks of ballots
Which is illegal in many jurisdictions.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Have you watched the movie? I haven't, but my understanding is that they are pointing out where it is happening illegally, but keep on that nut job train, I am sure it is them that is the issue.
Dropping off tons of ballots indicates a path to fraud. In California, it is legal, but the DNC flipped out when the RNC collected ballots too, so who was the nut job there?
https://apnews.com/article/los... [apnews.com]
Those evil republicans, how dare they follow the laws and collect ballots just like the DNC does in California
Re: (Score:1, Flamebait)
Interesting point of view differentiation the kids in Portland were not aware that they live under the same suspension of constitutional rights as us on the gulf coast and suspect to the
Socialist? (Score:5, Insightful)
You know, if you would stop using the word "socialist" to mean "stuff I don't like" people would take you a lot more serious. I'm just sayin'....
Re:Socialist? (Score:5, Informative)
You have no idea what the words "socialism" and "fascism" mean. You know they make people angry, and you think that's the main purpose of political discourse, so you automatically "win" any "debate" by saying them as often as you can. You should really stop posting until you're at least sixteen.
Re: (Score:2)
If it talks like a duck and quacks like a duck....
Re:Socialist? (Score:5, Informative)
I think you meant to reply to the other guy. But just in case...
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, I wasn't replying to you. I usually hate your posts, and if I had the energy I'd probably quibble about the definitions here, but you're not making *that* mistake.
Re: (Score:1)
"Socialism is an economic system where the means of production are owned by society as a whole."
Nonsense. The means of production were owned by the ruling elite. No employee had shares from their factory, for example, or participated in a fair distribution of the profits. Or participate in the running of the company. Singed: everyone who has ever lived under socialism or communism.
Socialism and communism are the highest form of totalitarianism. All the powers and freedoms - economy power, political agency,
Re: (Score:2)
So if we coupled democracy with workers owning the means of production, you'd be okay with that? I mean, as long as we cut out the totalitarians, we're good, right? The obscene concentration of wealth in a few hands necessarily leads to totalitarianism, so you are against that too?
Or are you okay as long as "the right kind of people" are the ones with all the power?
If it could be made to work yes (Score:3)
It has nothing to do with the right kind of people and everything to do with the right kind of systems an
Re: (Score:2)
Most people are not authoritarians. It's a sizeable minority, but not the majority. You need to think through what you mean by "owning things." Ownership is not a single right, it is a whole bundle of rights. So what, exactly, is it that people like? The right to repair or modify? The right to resale? The right to leave it lying around and not have someone else take it? The right to the proceeds from its operation or use?
We can have a socialist democracy where we redefine ownership rights to be more in line
Re: (Score:2)
Or at least that's the reasons the rank and file tend to crave ownership. For the ruling class they want to exert power over you and me so that will fall over ourselves to make their lives as wonderful as possible. They want to be able to threaten us with death from starvation and or the elements if we don't give them everything they want wh
Re: (Score:2)
But "property" is many different things. No form of socialism I know of says the state owns your clothes, for example. That's personal property. It requires the least work from the state to protect. Real property is different. It requires much more effort from the state to protect. Intellectual property requires the most work from the state, and it is hard to protect without a state.
People crave security, which use ownership can provide. You use your house, so no one else will take it from you. But you don'
Re: (Score:2)
You should realize that just because someone claims to be something, doesn't really mean they are something. Of course you're probably just trolling screaming "SOSHULIZMS" to try and generate a visceral response.
Re: (Score:2)
Nah. The socialists the Nazis were murdering sure knew that Nazis weren't socialist. I think it was pretty clear to everyone on the left at the time that Fascism was a response against socialism.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: You know it's almost as if (Score:2)
Don't forget "quantum" and "synergy"
Re: (Score:2)
You seem to think the CIA and Coca-Cola are emblematic of reasons S. America wants to move to N. America. Nice straw man. There is no one reason, but the reasons you cite are unknown to most S. Americans. More obvious reasons are drug gangs, they feed the American market and have turned law enforcement in some S. American countries into their own police force.
Another reason is climate change forced by all the carbon we've pumped into the atmosphere, and of which N. America is a big culprit. Central America
Re: (Score:1)
Leave Mexico and Brazil and Argentina and all those little shithole countries alone to modernize and then you don't have to put up with the immigrants you don't want to see.
Not sure it will turn out like that, countries have their own problems and limitations, not everything is someone else's fault. Not to mention that maybe this "modernization" that results in a sub-replacement birthrate is a dead end and a shithole is all that mankind can expect.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Weasel Words (Score:2)
Putting "think tank says" at the end of this headline is gaslighting. This is known fact for several years. Domestic surveillance is currently the entire government's primary function.
That noise.. (Score:4, Funny)
That rumbling noise you hear is the Founding Fathers spinning in their graves.
Re:That noise.. (Score:4, Interesting)
> That rumbling noise you hear is the Founding Fathers spinning in their graves.
They specified that the Feds only get Naturalization, not Immigration (left to States, even explicitly under 10a).
But we don't listen, we don't read, we don't have decent schools, we want a king, and thus we have several KGBs.
Perhaps like a phoenix from the ashes, some people will learn.
Re: (Score:1)
Do your part. Pay cash. Give others cash. Barter. (Score:3, Insightful)
The more that happens off the books, the less data the stinking filth at three-letter abomination agencies have. Do your part. Pay cash even if you're banked. Support the gray economy.
Remember - today, they're coming for people with deportation orders. In 2-3 years, they can be coming for pregnant women deemed "at risk" or those who travel out of state for an abortion. Freedom is the ability to commit crimes and break rules without being caught ... what's legal today may be a crime next week.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2, Flamebait)
Re: Do your part. Pay cash. Give others cash. Bart (Score:2)
I wonder what they will do to the members who are part of the "Bored Apes Yacht Club" and those who are caught on video screaming "I lost all my apes!'.
Re: (Score:2)
https://www.urbandictionary.co... [urbandictionary.com]
Re: (Score:2)
I have been commenting in a few places, that what you say today, although socially / legally acceptable today, may be found to be not acceptable in the future.
Best choice is not to be in any social media site.
For examples, just look up celebs and politicos who did or said something 20-30 years ago (when that was normal) and is now brought up to point out how bad they and that people can't change their minds after some time / experience.
All the kids on social media are screwed in the future. Cos what is norm
Re:Where is the outrage about the CDC doing it? (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
the CDC is scum for doing that too
Re: Where is the outrage about the CDC doing it? (Score:1)
So using the same data ICE and journalists can pick out individuals, yet CDC somehow resisted doing this and aggregated?
Like those times they happened to know churches were having service and the CDC and state governments just happened to stick the police randomly on them in order to violate their very first amendment rights.
Re: Where is the outrage about the CDC doing it? (Score:1)
So using the same data ICE and journalists can pick out individuals, yet CDC somehow resisted doing this and aggregated? Like those times they happened to know churches were having service and the CDC and state governments just happened to stick the police randomly on them in order to violate their very first amendment rights.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
ICE scum? You mean the organization tasked with Enforcing the Immigration and Customs laws of this country?
Last I checked, ICE enforces the laws on the books, if you have an issue with what that means, it is congress that is the scum, not the people doing the job that the organization they work for was formed to accomplish.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Your logic is flawed here, there is nothing that prevents both the congress and people working for ICE to be scum.
Unless you are in active denial, there are countless examples [google.com] you could learn from:
Check and balances (Score:2)
The Judicial Branch is supposed to put a stop to the natural inclinations of the other branches of government. But from the lowliest magistrate all the way to SCOTUS, we have been offered up to the Leviathan.
For shame, Justices, for shame!
Re: (Score:3)
The judicial branch only can rule on things that come before their bench. Anything outside of that is an opinion, and not legally binding on anyone.
If you have an issue with things like this, you as a citizen (or as a group of citizens) needs to take a case before the court, or they can't do anything. Last I checked, this particular case has not been brought before the judicial branch yet, so exactly what aren't they doing that you think they should be doing under their authority?
Re: (Score:3)
What should they do? Not hide behind legal minutia of their own making and grant standing. Until they do so, such a case will conveniently never come before the court.
Re: (Score:2)
Do you have a specific case where this happened, or are you just venting in general at the way the judicial branch is setup?
Re: (Score:2)
There are many examples:
https://www.insideprivacy.com/... [insideprivacy.com]
https://www.techdirt.com/2013/... [techdirt.com]
https://www.forbes.com/sites/w... [forbes.com]
Too much tv (Score:3)
Re:Too much tv (Score:5, Insightful)
What you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Mass surveillance is not mutually exclusive with clownish government incompetence. The past several years make it fairly obvious that they're highly synergistic, in fact.
Wedge issues (Score:1)
Predictable (Score:2)
At some point, it becomes difficult to go after the hard targets. It's easier to go after the easy targets. I mean, would you go try to find one rapist/murderer or would you just try to arrest 10 random illegal people working on a farm? Arresting the 10 is an easy win and you can get a promotion, whereas finding a real thug is difficult and dangerous .. and the payoff is the same. Now I imagine that going after the 10 random illegal dudes also became ac pain in the ass, so now what would you do? Get unempl
They are a customer (Score:2)
They are obviously a big fish and demand does matter, but I'm not sure any of the surveillance would become commercially unviable without them.
DMVs would lose revenue without ICE but I don't see them stop selling the data.
Republic of Gilead (Score:2)
I wonder... (Score:2)
Cheap (Score:2)
Expected? (Score:2)
... Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has built up a mass surveillance system that includes details on almost all US residents ...
I'm not sure what anyone expected. How else can ICE hope to find violators when there is no standard ID system to check? Isn't even asking the question about immigration status illegal to do in some situations?
Re: (Score:2)
A massive breach of personal liberty by ICE is okay because
gee, they have a hard job!
Re: (Score:2)
In other news (Score:2)
The sun rose this morning.
Yeah, mission creep and black budgets are a thing with people who want to play soldier boy. Because every bush has a BIIIG no-no hiding behind it!
ICE is inherently racist (Score:2)
ICE only ever goes after brown people. If you're white they don't even look at you.
Eastern Europeans come to the United States and over stay their visas all the time yet none of them ever get rounded up by the ICE gestapo.
So then they also know (Score:1)
that they can suck my dick, whenever they come around. Because that's the only thing anyone who works in that organization is good for. Bunch of useless pussies otherwise.