The Government Is Watching You Online, And They’re Using AI to Do It

ICE just spent $5.7 million to scan billions of social media posts every day. It’s surveillance of American citizens, and a direct threat to your freedom.

You already know your posts aren’t private. You’ve seen the signs, the shadow bans, the quiet warnings. What’s happening now is a whole new level of surveillance. ICE just bought AI systems once used by the military to scan everything you say, share, or repost. The government isn’t just watching anymore, it’s tracking patterns, mapping networks, and building digital files on all of us.

In October 2025, ICE quietly spent $5.7 million of taxpayer money on a secret surveillance program. The agency bought a tool powered by artificial intelligence called Zignal Labs. It scans billions of social media posts each day for any hint of trouble. And if this isn’t bad enough, it gets worse.

Zignal Labs is technology used by militaries and spy agencies. ICE’s parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, already had licenses for it with the U.S. Secret Service. The Israeli military uses it as well. The platform reads more than eight billion posts per day in over a hundred languages. It even reads pictures and videos, spotting faces, logos, and locations. It sorts all into alerts and feeds for ICE agents.

This $5.7 million contract is the latest sign ICE is building a digital dragnet. The agency already has tools with ominous names like ShadowDragon and Babel X. ShadowDragon scrapes everything you post to build a map of your online life. Babel X links your social profiles to your Social Security number or other personal data. Now add an AI layer. The result is a relentless sweep of the internet. Everything you say or post becomes intelligence on you, your family, and your friends.

It feels like a panopticon. The agency claims it is for “threat detection.” It says it will find bad actors fast. What counts as a threat? Under this administration ICE has been using online speech to pick its targets. Activists, students, and workers who spoke up, especially those criticizing the administration’s immigration policy, have ended up on the wrong side of ICE raids. This tech gives ICE the power to surveil anyone. If you tweet about injustice or say the wrong thing on Facebook, you might catch ICE’s attention.

I believe this is an assault on our democracy and our rights. It’s not what the Founders had in mind when they wrote about freedom of speech and a free press. We the people are supposed to hold power accountable. Now if we use the tools of communication and activism which built movements before, those tools are turned against us. The same intelligence technology used for national defense is being used against ordinary people. It listens without warrants and provides no transparency. This is exactly how an authoritarian regime would behave.

As a lawyer, I observe that the legality of this surveillance initiative depends on whether it complies with constitutional protections for free speech, protections against unreasonable searches, and statutory limits on federal agency powers. Key questions include whether the data collection involves individually identifiable information without a warrant, whether it targets protected classes or viewpoints, whether there is meaningful oversight and accountability of the algorithms and decision-making, and whether individuals have any mechanism to challenge the agency’s assessments.

Whatever the answers are to the above questions, here’s the bottom line: when we are distracted, this problem grows under the radar. This administration poured money into spying programs while families struggle to make ends meet. It speaks of border security and safety. In monitors your digital posts and piles up tech cameras rather than real solutions. Fear creeps into our daily lives.

You are not powerless. As voters and members of our communities, you have strength. Speak up now. Ask your representatives why we are spending taxpayer money on a social media dragnet. Tell your neighbors what it means for our kids’ future if the government watches every post they make. Share facts and attend community meetings. Make noise before this new tool becomes the normal way of life.

Our democracy depends on an informed and active citizenry. Now is the time to act. Make your voice heard louder than any algorithm. Demand answers and accountability. That’s how we protect our freedoms and each other. Stay alert, stay vocal, and together we will ensure the Constitution and our rights are not buried under a mountain of code and surveillance.

Mitch Jackson, Esq.

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You have a voice that still matters. The people in charge hope you’ll scroll past stories like this and stay quiet. Don’t. Join us. Share this issue, talk about it, and remind everyone you know that freedom disappears when silence becomes easier than speaking up.

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