DHS Emails Confirm the Feds Are Monitoring Tweets

“ We have all the territory on understudy for the likely Roe v. Wade SCOTUS decision that may be released today , ” a DHS supervisor reportedly publish in one email . The message went on to urge agents to ordinate with theirfusion centers — nation - run hub for police information share that track “ threats . ”

The notion of Union agents keep tab key on social media should n’t be particularly surprising . After all , the FBI has been receptive about its interestin social medium monitoringfor years . Local police forcesalso surveil posts . And Homeland Security itselfstarted collectinga wide array of on-line data ( include social mass medium action ) on immigrant back in 2017 .

Yet the electronic mail present another glimpse into how DHS approach on-line anger . In the aftermath of the nationwide rollback of miscarriage right protections , the agency was focused on internet decorum . And , in at least one case , the feds exact their concern from the web to IRL .

A protest outside the Supreme Court building in Washington D.C. was just one of many demonstrations in the immediate aftermath of the Roe overturn. And while people took to the streets, the Department of Homeland Security took to the tweets.

Madeline Walker , a woman endure in North Texas , received a home visitfrom a DHS agent(and potentially multiple police officer ) afterposting an tempestuous tweetin the wake of the SCOTUS decision . “ sting every crashing authorities build down mighty the fuck now . mow down them all . Fuck you god blessed pigs , ” Walker allegedly write in the now - deleted tweet . Six days subsequently , the police force enforcement officers that showed up at her door came bearing a missive from Joshua Henry , a DHS extra broker at the Threat Management Branch .

“ You are advised … to cease and desist in any conduct deem harassing / jeopardise in nature , when communication to or about the Union authorities , ” the letter of the alphabet said . “ loser to comply with this request could result in the filing of deplorable charge . ”

Notably , Walker ’s twitter handle ( @budweiserbreath ) does n’t carry her legal name , nor does her account profile showing any other light identifying entropy ( though it does note her general location in Dallas , Texas ) . Bloomberg reported that it ’s unclear how DHS tracked Walker down . However , if Twitter provided information to legal philosophy enforcement , it certainlywouldn’t be the first timea societal media companionship has done so . The societal spiritualist company did not immediately respond to Gizmodo ’s request for comment .

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