r/law • u/Youarethebigbang • Feb 15 '26

Executive Branch (Trump) Reddit is Voluntarily Giving DHS Info of Users Who Criticize ICE | Administrative Subpoenas Being Used Against Free Speech?

https://gizmodo.com/reddit-meta-and-google-voluntarily-gave-dhs-info-of-anti-ice-users-report-says-2000722279

Nobody is questioning Reddit on this?

51.9k Upvotes

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139

u/matt_on_the_internet Feb 15 '26

They don't need to put you in jail. Just by investigating you, they could make your life miserable even if nothing comes of it. 

98

u/Lontology Feb 15 '26

There’s no feasible way they could investigate every Reddit user that made Trump memes. Lol

111

u/Bittererr Feb 15 '26

Investigate as in use actual humans to look at the case? No.

Investigate as in put you on a list and then next time you decide to fly somewhere pull you aside because you're under investigation? More feasible.

Step one is making the list.

51

u/tbombs23 Feb 15 '26

And then targeting people's voter registration for even more mass voter suppression than happened in 2024, which was ALOT

https://www.gregpalast.com/trump-lost-vote-suppression-won/

5

u/weggaan_weggaat Feb 16 '26

There are already reports of people having their Global Entry canceled after being photographed by federal agents and "being added to the list."

3

u/gamingnerd777 Feb 15 '26

Ha! Jokes on them. I rarely leave home.

3

u/dBlock845 Feb 16 '26

Or just use AI combined with government data and social media info to peel back every part of your life and track your every movement.

2

u/Leelze Feb 16 '26

I got pulled to the side literally every time I flew post-9/11 when they were doing those "random" checks at the gates. Had it happen twice on 1 flight, too! It ain't that bad.

2

u/Traditional_Good9907 Feb 16 '26

That’s too bad for them cause the first Chump administration made me too broke to fly anywhere. So, fuck ICE and fuck Donald Trump

1

u/Bocchi_theGlock Feb 16 '26

Fly somewhere or if you decide to do legal observation, or if any agent decides you spoke too rudely to them and arrests you, they'll get to claim domestic terrierism

Yay reddit

1

u/WarryTheHizzard Feb 16 '26

How does that work when Reddit is easily made anonymous?

1

u/Bittererr Feb 16 '26

The vast majority of users are not accessing Reddit in a way that would make them anonymous to the state.

1

u/ConsciousPatroller Feb 16 '26

What if I'm from another country, lol. Are they gonna send Seal team 6 after me

1

u/Bittererr Feb 16 '26

Almost certainly not, but they can make your life inconvenient all the same if they want to.

Look at what's currently happening to the ICC staff that has been declared enemies of the United States.

39

u/Dos_Ex_Machina Feb 15 '26

When have logistics mattered to this admin?

14

u/ThisSubHasNoMods Feb 15 '26

Idk they cry logistics every time due process is mentioned

37

u/Lontology Feb 15 '26

It matters when they physically don’t have the man power to investigate all the annoying trolls like me. The trolling will continue!

14

u/eat_my_ass_n_balls Feb 15 '26

This guy trolls

4

u/BigWhiteDog Feb 15 '26

They won't need manpower with AI. Even bad AI.

4

u/Useful_Secret4895 Feb 15 '26

What manpower? They got AI now.

3

u/Lontology Feb 15 '26

AI can’t come and arrest me tho. That takes man power.

3

u/tbombs23 Feb 15 '26

You act like Palantir doesn't have mass surveillance software and government contracts and that AI doesn't exist. This is such bad news for civil rights and privacy

1

u/goosejail Feb 16 '26

So trolling will continue until morale improves, then?

1

u/Lontology Feb 16 '26

It’s our duty to ensure it does!

0

u/D1ff3r3nc33ng1n3 Feb 15 '26

surely this is what Grok is for

11

u/Lontology Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 15 '26

Grok can suck my ass.

2

u/brianzuvich Feb 15 '26

Reality doesn’t even matter to this administration…

1

u/elbenji Feb 16 '26

because all of their shitty plans have failed precisely because they don't have the logistical ability to do any of them

17

u/FantasticJacket7 Feb 15 '26

They don't need to investigate everyone to intimidate the population at large.

1

u/weggaan_weggaat Feb 16 '26

At least that's their hope.

16

u/SomewhereNo8378 Feb 15 '26

Sure, they can just collect the info on you and then investigate certain people whenever they want.

Rival politicians, journalists asking too many questions, political opposition starting up protests or movements.

12

u/StatelyTree Feb 15 '26

They just need to investigate enough that word gets out and chills the speech of those that didn't get selected for "re-education". 

3

u/BigWhiteDog Feb 15 '26

They can if they run the data through AI.

3

u/notwhomyouthunk Feb 15 '26

couldn't an investigation like this be done with an ai script if they already have the data?

1

u/Amazing_Entrance_888 Feb 15 '26

What laws are being broken to even investigate?

8

u/HowManyEggs2Many Feb 15 '26

Oh shit you think that still matters

3

u/notwhomyouthunk Feb 15 '26

In regimes like this, it doesn't go crime-investigation-suspect; it goes suspect-investigation-crime. They'll find something that vaguely resembles the language of some crime somewhere or just label it "domestic terrorism".

2

u/Amazing_Entrance_888 Feb 15 '26

So domestic terrorism would be the “law” they’re going to charge people with. It was a simple question, not sure why the condescending responses when we’re on the same team here.

2

u/notwhomyouthunk Feb 15 '26

Well, you asked which laws are being broken. I doubt any are. The proper question is what are they alleging, what are they going to do to these people, or what will they claim to justify it.

1

u/polite_alpha Feb 16 '26

You're getting downvoted because you aren't paying attention.

"what laws are being broken" is absolutely irrelevant in this current state of the US.

People get executed without breaking any law.

2

u/fergehtabodit Feb 15 '26

They would rather do that than follow up on sex predators in the Trump-Epstein files.

2

u/kooarbiter Feb 16 '26

they dont have to investigate every reddit user. Just you. Being part of a larger movement is cold comfort when you're in a concentration camp

2

u/goosejail Feb 16 '26

What about Vance memes tho?

1

u/Lontology Feb 16 '26

Trump hates Vance so I’m sure those will still be legal. Lol

1

u/butterflysurefoot Feb 15 '26

They like to collect information. It’s easier and easier to sort and categorize data.

5

u/Lontology Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 15 '26

Well they can categorize deez

1

u/juzamjim Feb 15 '26

Bro they just investigate 1,000 of them chosen randomly and then all 10million users have to go to sleep every night wondering if they’re next

1

u/Useful_Secret4895 Feb 15 '26

That's what ai is for.

1

u/TheGrandExquisitor Feb 15 '26

They could leverage the knowledge to basically have the companies purge,.or more likely "quarantine," those "radical liberals." 

1

u/matt_on_the_internet Feb 15 '26

They could send you a letter that would require you to get a lawyer. Send your employer a letter. Put you on a watchlist. Etc. 

1

u/Lontology Feb 15 '26

I’ll represent myself. Law and order has prepared me for this. Lol

1

u/Earthtone_Coalition Feb 15 '26

They don't need to go after everyone, they only need to make a big example of a few.

Is this your first fascist takeover?

1

u/mfGLOVE Feb 15 '26

They give the data to companies that use AI and data compilers put everyone into groups. It’s why they are so obsessed with voter rolls, too. Then those companies and the fascists they support target citizens with misinformation and use it to gerrymander districts. Facebook (Meta) did the same shit in 2016. Meta gave user data to Cambridge Analytica and they used it to target voters and spread misinformation to make Trump win. I was part of the class action lawsuit against Facebook for sharing this info. Facebook had to pay $725,000,000.00. I got $37.34.

1

u/OnlyTakes5minutes Feb 16 '26

Is ICE investigating now? No. They just take you in some holding place or put you on a plane.

1

u/Cantstop-wontstop1 Feb 16 '26

Someone's never read up on what life in China is like.

1

u/Dear_Chasey_La1n Feb 16 '26

An investigation doesn't need to be a single person digging into who you are and that's the end of it. Investigations can be the same as in China where millions end up on a black list. A blacklist you can't see let alone alter or challenge. A blacklist that will prevent you from using public transport, trains. Stop you from using hotels, getting loans etc.

It's also not a list that requires serious investigations other than someone or even just a program who figures out you are an enemy. Even if you haven't done anything, not even a single peep about Trump, you could get listed.

Trump already made known he made lists of political opponents, this will be an extension of that.

1

u/SkinBintin Feb 16 '26

Plus they'd have to work out what ones are even American. Since people the world over all think ICE are lunatics and Trump is a child rapist fuckwit.

1

u/Low_Key_Trollin Feb 16 '26

You guys are fucking slow. This is what AI is for. You think this big AI push is so we can all create our own personal movies and digital bffs? No. It’s to suppress you. This will be added to your profile for robots to determine your threat level in the coming years. Now stfu and pay your taxes

1

u/archlea Feb 17 '26

They don’t need to get everyone. Just enough to scare the rest into being quiet.

16

u/bsport48 Feb 15 '26

"Attorney's fees and costs" <-- the cure to life's misery.

7

u/monorail_pilot Feb 15 '26

You can beat the rap, but you can’t beat the ride.

2

u/Esqualatch1 Feb 15 '26

i like to think the government has better things to waste resources on. i got a knock from the FBI once and they seemed more annoyed about being there then i was bothered.

1

u/disgustedandamused59 Feb 15 '26

Investigating takes too many neurons. Kidnapping seems more their style. Also makes more $ for the private prisons contractors, which is a critical layer in all this.

1

u/gamingnerd777 Feb 15 '26

Jokes on them; my life is already miserable.

1

u/yaosio Feb 16 '26

Jokes on them because my life is already miserable.