Jordan Seeks Info on Monitoring Of Social Media by DHS

摘要

Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, has written to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting information on the Department of Homeland Security's intent to use third-party contractors to "spy on the social media communications of American citizens for signs of 'extremist' threats."According to the letter, DHS is attempting to circumvent laws prohibiting warrantless surveillance of Americans by law enforcement and intelligence agencies through the use of nongovernmental entities, which would "have serious consequences for the civil liberties of all Americans."Citing media reports, the letter states that DHS's reported efforts to use private companies and social media platforms like Facebook to monitor disfavored speech online is an example of the Biden administration's "continued disregard for American civil liberties" and is even more dangerous given DHS's history of monitoring Americans holding "suspicious views," including views on immigration, the Second Amendment, and the opposition to the use of force by police.