USA: Report alleges data brokers & surveillance tech companies enable ICE to operate vast surveillance dragnet; incl. co responses
A report from the Georgetown Law School Center on Privacy & Technology outlines the surveillance capabilities of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and alleges that ICE now operates as a domestic surveillance agency that has access to the personal information of a vast majority of people living in the US, without judicial, legislative, or public oversight. Based on analysis of documents received from Freedom of Information Act requests, publicly available reports and regulatory filings, and ICE contracting and procurement records, the report found that ICE has gained access to data sets and technology from private companies that have enabled the agency to build its surveillance capacity and carry out deportations. The report alleges that ICE surveillance has had a chilling effect on immigrants' access to essential services that are necessary for their health and well-being, as well as deterring them from engaging with the legal system to report crimes or testify in court.
The report names Clearview AI, Palantir Technologies, Vigilant Solutions, Equifax, LexisNexis, The National Consumer Telecom & Utilities Exchange (NCTUE), and Thomson Reuters, and describes how data or technology from those companies enable ICE surveillance.
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Clearview AI, Palantir Technologies, Vigilant Solutions, Equifax, LexisNexis, The National Consumer Telecom & Utilities Exchange (NCTUE), and Thomson Reuters to respond. Clearview AI, Palantir Technologies, Equifax, LexisNexis, NCTUE, Thomson Reuters and Vigilant Solutions responded.