(Bloomberg) -- The US Justice Department is seeking the names, addresses, and banking information of Reddit and X users, ratcheting up efforts to identify social media critics of government deportation efforts.
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The US Attorney's Office for Washington, led by Jeanine Pirro, a close ally of President Donald Trump, has subpoenaed the social media companies as part of criminal investigations, asking for personal information on at least two anonymous posters behind accounts that have chided immigration enforcement efforts, according to records shared by attorneys for the users.
The anonymous users, who learned of the subpoenas from the platforms and hired lawyers to challenge the government’s demands for information, haven’t been told what possible offenses are being probed. Their lawyers believe the investigations could relate to allegations of revealing a federal officer’s location data or other types of perceived threats, but dispute that their clients committed crimes. Even if no charges ultimately are filed, the attorneys contended in interviews that rooting out identities of dissenters is at the very least an intimidation tactic.
In recent sealed court proceedings, a federal judge is weighing the posters’ requests to have the government’s subpoenas to the companies tossed out. Grand jury activity generally isn't open to the public but the recipients of these types of evidence-gathering tools are allowed to disclose certain information about them.
The effort represents an escalation in the use of law enforcement tools by the administration, which has sought to protect the identities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Other initiatives have become a flashpoint in an ongoing battle over funding the Department of Homeland Security, which is ICE's parent agency, including allowing officers to wear masks while in public and trying to criminalize the recording and publishing of video of their operations.
Source: Drudge Report
