Department of Homeland Security Has Allegedly Sent Hundreds of Subpoenas to Social Media Companies As Part of a Mass Surveillance Operation

The requests can seek users' real names, addresses, birth dates, workplaces and Social Security numbers, with some companies like Reddit rejecting them as too broad. In one case, the Trump administration tried to identify a Reddit user who called to abolish ICE and shared an agent's phone number. Agents also visited New York poll worker Paigelynne Gonyea at her workplace after she posted about ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot protester Renee Good in Minnesota; she was asked to sign a letter saying her posts could be illegal.

The administration has faced accusations of violating civil liberties, with critics saying it conflates legal First Amendment activity with crime. DHS agents have used Meta AI sunglasses during protests, and the White House has used AI to scan social media to revoke visas of those accused of supporting Hamas. Immigration agents arrested Turkish graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk after she wrote a Palestine-related opinion article; she left the U.S. after settling.

The U.S. is battling Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil in a Supreme Court case, with Khalil alleging detention based on tips from pro-Israel vigilante groups. The White House defends its actions as lawful authority to protect the public.