US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued a request for information, seeking details from companies about “commercial Big Data and Ad Tech” products. These tools are intended to “directly support investigations activities,” as outlined in a filing in the Federal Register, the official journal for US government agency notices.
The filing indicates that ICE is managing a growing amount of documentation from various sources, including criminal, civil, regulatory, and administrative records. The request aims to identify available tools for managing and analyzing this information, specifically “existing and emerging” products similar to those offered by major providers of investigative data and legal/risk analytics.
Furthermore, the document states that the government seeks to understand the current landscape of “Ad Tech compliant and location data services” accessible to federal investigative bodies. This includes considering regulatory limitations and privacy expectations related to supporting investigations. The filing provides minimal specific details, omitting which regulations or privacy standards would apply, and does not name any particular “Big Data and Ad Tech” services or vendors.
This request marks the first instance of “ad tech” appearing in an ICE filing within the Federal Registry for information, solicitation, or contract justification. This highlights a growing trend where tools initially designed for digital advertising and commercial applications are now being evaluated for government use in law enforcement and surveillance operations.
An unsigned statement from ICE emphasized that the filing serves only for information gathering and planning. The statement noted that law enforcement agencies nationwide utilize technological innovations to combat crime, and ICE operates similarly. It further stated that technology is employed to support investigations and assist in criminal arrests, while upholding civil liberties and privacy interests.
The Department of Homeland Security did not provide an immediate response to a request for comment.
ICE has previously referenced “big data” in a contract justification for Palantir, covering unlimited operational support for the FALCON system and licenses for Palantir Gotham. Gotham is Palantir’s standard investigative tool for law enforcement, with a customized version, the “Investigative Case Management” system, provided to ICE. Within this customized Palantir system, FALCON is a tool utilized by ICE to “store, search, analyze, and visualize volumes of existing information” related to ongoing and past investigations.
The agency has also acquired products that supply mobile location data. This type of data is often part of the information traded by companies involved in online advertising. Ad tech data can encompass details such as a person’s device and app usage, location, and browsing history.
Commercial location data from Webloc, a Penlink tool, has been acquired by ICE. Webloc enables the collection of mobile phone information within a defined area during a specific timeframe. The tool allows filtering of devices based on how their location was obtained, such as via “GPS, WiFi, or IP address,” or through “Apple and Android advertising identifiers,” as reported by 404 Media.
Over recent years, ICE has also acquired licenses for Venntel, a data broker and Gravy Analytics subsidiary specializing in collecting and selling consumer location data. A Federal Registry entry marking the conclusion of a Venntel contract last year indicated that ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division utilized the software “to access/gain information to accurately identify digital devices.”
In 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleged that Venntel sold sensitive consumer location data for commercial and government uses without adequate consent. Subsequently, the FTC prohibited Gravy Analytics and Venntel from selling, disclosing, or using sensitive location data, except under specific national security or law enforcement conditions. Gravy Analytics neither admitted nor denied the FTC’s allegations.
This request from ICE coincides with an increased federal response to protests in Minneapolis concerning joint immigration enforcement operations by ICE and Customs and Border Protection. On a recent Saturday morning, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, was fatally shot by a CBP officer during an attempted detention by federal agents. Reports suggest he might have been filming the officers before the incident, with further details still developing.
