The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has quietly signed a new $5.7 million deal to use advanced artificial intelligence (AI) software for social media surveillance. Federal records show that ICE will now have access to a system called Zignal Labs, a platform that can analyze more than 8 billion online posts every day.
ICE Buys Powerful AI Software for Social Media Surveillance
In September, the government technology supplier Carahsoft Technology arranged a five-year contract that gives ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit the ability to track, analyze, and respond to online conversations in real time. Officials say the agency will use it to assist with criminal investigations, but privacy experts worry ICE may also use the system for social media surveillance targeting political speech and personal opinions.
Zignal Labs claims its AI system can automatically detect online “threats” and trends by scanning massive amounts of digital content from platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and other public sites. The company advertises its technology as a way for law enforcement and defense agencies to “respond with greater clarity and speed.”
However, civil liberty groups are raising red flags. They argue that the government’s growing use of AI for social media surveillance may violate people’s right to privacy and free expression, especially when it targets immigrants and activists.
AI Surveillance Tools and Social Media Surveillance Raise Civil Liberty Concerns
This isn’t ICE’s first step into social media surveillance. Its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has used Zignal Labs since 2019 for other departments like the U.S. Secret Service. But this is the first known time ICE will directly use the platform for its own operations.
ICE already relies on several digital surveillance tools, such as ShadowDragon, which maps online activities, and Babel X, which connects social media profiles with personal data like locations and Social Security numbers. With Zignal Labs, ICE can now analyze more online data than ever, expanding its social media surveillance network.
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Civil rights groups, including the ACLU, warn that this expansion could threaten privacy and free speech. They argue that agencies could misuse AI tools that collect public posts to target people for their political views.
Recent examples have heightened these fears — online groups reportedly exposed pro-Palestinian activists before immigration officials detained them, and a right-wing influencer’s viral video prompted ICE officers to raid street vendors in New York.
Adding to concerns, ICE also signed a $7 million contract with SOS International LLC (SOSi) for “skip tracing” — technology used to track people’s locations. SOSi’s recent hiring of a former ICE intelligence chief has further fueled worries about growing ties between private firms and the agency’s expanding social media surveillance efforts.
Zignal Labs’ Military Links Deepen the Controversy
Zignal Labs, the company providing this new social media surveillance software, was founded in Silicon Valley in 2011. It originally sold data analytics tools to marketing agencies and political campaigns to track media trends. But in recent years, it has shifted its focus toward defense and intelligence clients.
According to company materials reviewed by journalists, Zignal now provides “tactical intelligence” services to the Israeli military, the U.S. Marines, and the State Department. A pamphlet from the company even describes how its software helps “operators on the ground” in Gaza by analyzing online data for military use.
Privacy advocates say this military background makes its partnership with ICE even more concerning. They fear that tools designed for battlefield intelligence are now being used to monitor civilians inside the United States under the banner of social media surveillance.
Zignal Labs has not commented on its deal with ICE or its links to Israeli defense forces. In a July press release, the company said its latest AI software scans global data to detect potential threats. Two months later, ICE signed its five-year contract for Zignal licenses through Carahsoft.
Experts say these AI-powered surveillance tools allow agencies to collect massive amounts of data, link identities, and even predict behavior — often with little oversight. Civil rights groups warn that using such systems to monitor speech can discourage people from expressing their opinions online.
As ICE strengthens ties with companies like Zignal Labs and SOSi, the line between national security and civilian social media surveillance grows increasingly blurred. While ICE claims these tools help with investigations, many fear they could also be used to control online speech and immigrant communities.