The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to launch an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to monitor and analyze the social media activities of millions. This initiative aims to pinpoint immigrants through their posts, images, and digital locations.
According to a report by Univision, the federal agency plans to invest $5.7 million in a program developed by Signal Labs, a company specializing in real-time online content monitoring.
The innovative system will be capable of identifying trends, emotions, keywords, and personal characteristics visible in photos or videos.
Tracking Immigrants Through Digital Footprints
The program has the potential to recognize users by physical traits, visited locations, or behaviors observable on platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, or TikTok, thereby generating automatic alerts for ICE.
The software can also estimate locations and link profiles through activity patterns.
Legal Concerns and Human Rights Implications
Immigration attorney Gabriel Campos, in an interview with Univision, cautioned that such tools may aid in locating and apprehending immigrants, even those without criminal records or previous entries in government systems.
"It will be easier to find individuals with existing immigration files, especially those with criminal backgrounds, using this program," Campos explained.
However, Campos warned that the system could also lead to human rights violations, privacy breaches, and restrictions on freedom of expression, as AI can process any user's information without a specific court order.
"There is a limit to what the government can investigate, especially if individuals are not under formal investigation," the attorney noted.
Technology and Its Potential Uses
Meanwhile, technology expert David Rodríguez, founder of IA University, elaborated on how Signal Labs' algorithms can be trained to recognize specific groups or characteristics.
"These models allow for parameter definitions: men, women, or people with certain features. They can be set to filter virtually any visual or textual pattern," he explained.
Frequently Asked Questions About AI and Immigration Monitoring
How will ICE use AI to monitor immigrants on social media?
ICE plans to implement an AI system that tracks and analyzes social media activities to identify immigrants through their posts, images, and digital locations.
What are the potential risks associated with this AI system?
The system could lead to privacy violations, human rights infringements, and limitations on freedom of expression as it processes user information without a specific court order.
What is the cost of implementing this AI system?
The federal agency plans to invest $5.7 million in the AI program developed by Signal Labs.