The Hill News

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is closely monitoring social media for potential threats and hazards to the United States. Little was known about the DHS monitoring program, however, until last month when new details about their policies became public for the first time. As a result of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, DHS disclosed records revealing information about their tactics. DHS documents revealed that the department has tasked analysts with collecting intelligence on any media reports that “reflect adversely on the U.S. government and the Department of Homeland Security…including both positive and negative reports on FEMA, USCIS, CBP, and ICE.”
 
In one example, DHS used multiple social networking toolsâ€"including Facebook, Twitter, three different blogs, and reader comments on news websites to capture reaction of residents to a possible plan to bring Guantanamo detainees to a local prison in Standish, Michigan. This type of! intelligence gathering is problematic. Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating private citizens’ comments could have a chilling effect on individual privacy rights and the people’s freedom of speech and dissent.

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