ICE has requested numerous social media platforms to hand over data on users who are critical of its agents and operations
Tech companies have complied, but are now expecting Democrat-led investigations into their compliance following the midterm elections
Executives want to shield themselves from Congressional inquiries into their conduct
The US midterm elections are just days away, and big tech companies such as Google and Meta are already quietly defying Trump’s orders to hand over data on users who have criticized his stance on immigration. The incumbent party usually loses seats in the midterm elections, and with a wave of Democratic governors potentially on the horizon tech companies are attempting to stave off future scrutiny. “They need to be prepared to say, under oath, why they did what they did,” Rep. Shri Thanedar (D. , Mich.) said, referring to an investigation into companies who have complied with Trump administration subpoenas. T&C update: your data may be handed to the authorities
Numerous tech companies with platforms upon which people have voiced critical views of Trump’s handling of immigration policy have begun updating their terms of use to include transparency on how user data could be handed over to the authorities. Much of the criticism has centered around how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have conducted operations investigating illegal immigrants. As a recent Department of Homeland Security breach exposed, ICE agents have conducted undercover surveillance operations of protestors, critics, and journalists using wiretaps…