Story perspectives

DHS Expands Controversial Social Media Surveillance Program

2/13/2026

Summary

Story summary

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expanded surveillance with a 'masked engagement' program allowing agents to interact on social media without revealing identities.
The approach, less regulated than undercover work, draws criticism from civil liberties groups and some lawmakers over privacy violations and abuse risk.
Democratic lawmakers introduced the ICE Out of Our Faces Act to curb DHS facial recognition use and require deletion of collected data.

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Story summary

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expanded surveillance with a 'masked engagement' program allowing agents to interact on social media without revealing identities.
The approach, less regulated than undercover work, draws criticism from civil liberties groups and some lawmakers over privacy violations and abuse risk.
Democratic lawmakers introduced the ICE Out of Our Faces Act to curb DHS facial recognition use and require deletion of collected data.