TL;DR
Documents obtained by 404 Media show ICE purchased access to surveillance systems called Tangles and Webloc that can monitor mobile phones in a neighborhood and trace device movements over time. An internal ICE legal memo cited in the materials says commercial location data obtained from Penlink can be queried without a warrant, prompting civil liberties concerns.
What happened
404 Media obtained materials that describe how two surveillance platforms ICE recently bought, Tangles and Webloc, operate. According to the documents, the systems can be configured to surveil a city neighborhood or block, identify phones present in that area, and trace the movements of those devices and their users over time — including trips between workplaces, homes, and other locations. The reporting says the commercial location data powering the capability comes via Penlink and covers data from hundreds of millions of phones. An internal ICE legal analysis included in the materials states these commercial location datasets can be queried without a warrant. The purchase and the agency’s legal view arrive amid an ongoing deportation initiative and enforcement actions that civil liberties groups say could be intensified by expansive location surveillance. Advocates have warned the systems could create detailed records of everyday associations and movements.
Why it matters
- The tool can build granular movement profiles of individuals by linking devices to locations like homes and workplaces.
- ICE’s internal legal interpretation that commercial location data can be queried without a warrant raises constitutional and oversight questions.
- Access to data from hundreds of millions of phones broadens the potential scope of surveillance beyond targeted investigations.
- Use of such tools during intensified deportation and enforcement campaigns could affect large communities and chill protected speech or association.
Key facts
- The surveillance platforms are named Tangles and Webloc in materials obtained by 404 Media.
- Webloc is described as capable of tracking phones and following their owners from work to home and other sites.
- Commercial location data for the systems was acquired via a company identified as Penlink.
- The materials say the location dataset covers hundreds of millions of phones.
- An internal ICE legal analysis included in the reporting states the commercial location data can be queried without a warrant.
- 404 Media’s reporting frames the purchase as occurring during a period of intensified deportation efforts.
- Civil liberties groups, represented in the reporting by an ACLU official, expressed alarm at the privacy implications.
What to watch next
- Whether ICE will deploy Tangles/Webloc in specific enforcement operations or neighborhoods — not confirmed in the source.
- If courts or Congress will challenge ICE’s legal view that commercial location queries do not require warrants — not confirmed in the source.
- Any agency disclosures or oversight records detailing operational use, retention, and minimization practices — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Commercial location data: Location information collected from mobile devices by apps and data brokers and then aggregated and sold for analytics or other commercial uses.
- Penlink: A company identified in the reporting as a source through which ICE accessed commercial location datasets.
- Warrant: A court authorization required in many legal contexts for law enforcement to conduct searches or seize evidence, depending on applicable law and circumstances.
- Tangles and Webloc: Names of surveillance systems referenced in the obtained materials that describe tools for monitoring phones and tracing device movements.
Reader FAQ
Can ICE query the location data without a warrant?
According to an internal ICE legal analysis cited in the obtained materials, commercial location data accessed via Penlink can be queried without a warrant.
What data source powers the location tracking?
The reporting says the systems use commercial location data obtained through a company called Penlink.
Will ICE use this tool to deport specific individuals?
Not confirmed in the source.
How many phones are included in the dataset?
The materials describe coverage that includes data from hundreds of millions of phones.
404 Media is an independent website whose work is written, reported, and owned by human journalists. Our intended audience is real people, not AI scrapers, bots, or a search algorithm….
Sources
- ICE's Tool to Monitor Phones in Neighborhoods
- ICE Uses a Growing Web of AI Services to Power Its …
- ICE agents have new tools to track and ID people
- ICE Wants to Go After Dissenters as well as Immigrants
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