10
Loading video...
By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
More than 70 Democratic lawmakers have asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General in a letter to investigate immigration agencies for allegedly purchasing commercial location data that can track Americans’ mobile phones.
The lawmakers pointed to a 404 Media report, which said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a no-bid contract to the surveillance company Penlink in 2025, which included licenses for its location-tracking product, Webloc.
Webloc was originally developed by the surveillance firm Cobwebs Technologies, which merged with Penlink in 2023.
Read More on News
ICE, CBP, and the Secret Service had purchased and used commercial geolocation data in ways that violated internal privacy policies and federal law, according to a September 2023 report by the DHS Inspector General. It recommended that ICE discontinue use of the data until proper safeguards are in place
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told Newsweek, "ICE does not purchase illegal information. ICE only utilizes tools it has legal authority to use. We are not going to disclose law enforcement sensitive intelligence and methods. DHS law enforcement methods abide by the U.S. Constitution including the Fourth Amendment.”
Lawmakers have expressed concern that ICE may have resumed purchasing access to data sets that were previously halted in 2023 due to legal and privacy concerns.
...
ICE purchased access to two surveillance systems, Webloc and Tangles, through Penlink, according to 404 Media. The report says Webloc is designed to monitor a neighborhood, block, or area for mobile phones, track devices over time, and follow movements from work to home or other locations. The system reportedly allows users to draw perimeters on a map and view the movement paths of specific devices, using identifiers like advertising IDs and GPS, Wi‑Fi, or IP-based location information.
A Penlink spokesperson told Newsweek: "Penlink is the pre-eminent software provider supporting more than 700 law enforcement and public safety agencies nationwide for over 35 years. We help our customers save lives and deliver justice through mission-driven digital intelligence. We are committed to delivering tools for law enforcement to rapidly search, analyze, and identify threats to keep our communities safe.
"Our software platform supports agencies in their missions using publicly and commercially available data. Penlink understands the sensitivity and complexity of data privacy and operates under robust compliance, due diligence, and responsible-use standards. Penlink is committed to transparency, legality, and integrity in every aspect of our work.
Penlink’s law enforcement customers follow their own internal guidelines and procedures with regard to obtaining commercially available location data.
"We understand that the specifics of these guidelines differ among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The vendors we use to make location data available to our Webloc customers follow guidelines for sensitive locations and do not include data from such places, including hospitals, schools, and religious institutions.”
404 Media said the tools could ingest data from hundreds of millions of mobile devices and allow ICE investigators to query the information without a warrant, but it is unclear how much data ICE can access.
“Location data is extremely sensitive, and can reveal someone’s religion, their political views, medical conditions, addictions, and with whom they spend time. It is for that reason that ordinarily, the government must obtain a warrant from a judge in order to demand such data from phone or technology companies,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari.
“Given DHS’ failure to adopt a policy for the use of commercial data, coupled with ICE awarding a no-bid contract to a shady data broker that is likely violating federal law, we urge you to open another investigation into the purchase and use of location data by ICE and other DHS components,” the lawmakers said.
In September 2023, the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that ICE, CBP, and the Secret Service had purchased and used commercial geolocation data in ways that violated internal privacy policies and federal law, according to a report by the DHS Inspector General.
The internal watchdog said the agencies failed to conduct required privacy impact assessments and lacked adequate controls over sensitive data, leading to misuse in at least one case.
The DHS OIG found that, in 2023, when agencies used commercial location data, they lacked appropriate controls and privacy reviews. It recommended that ICE discontinue use of the data until proper safeguards were in place.
Following that report, the practice was scaled back, and the specific programs that had relied on warrantless location data purchases were reportedly ended in 2023
Commercial location data brokers collect information from everyday apps and services used by U.S. residents and citizens, as well as non-citizens, meaning location information for American citizens can be part of the data made available to government purchasers.
It also remains unclear what ICE is currently using the data for. The agency has not publicly explained its operational uses, and lawmakers have asked the DHS Inspector General to investigate how the data is used and whether it follows the law.
Update 3/5/26, 1:25 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Penlink.
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not "both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines