Tumblr & Discord among sites being scraped for ICE
Quoting from the Mozilla Petition to pressure companies to resist this scraping:
The websites and services we trust for shopping, socializing, and learning shouldn’t be tools for surveillance. Yet, a new investigation by 404 Media (behind paywall) has revealed that ShadowDragon, a U.S. government contractor, is exploiting publicly available data from websites and services like Etsy, Reddit, Tinder, and Duolingo [and Tumblr and Discord] — to fuel mass surveillance programs for U.S. government agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
[Note: the investigation article is behind a paywall; here is a podcast episode by 404 Media]
ShadowDragon’s SocialNet and similar tools track your connections, map your movements, and piece together your digital life, turning your ordinary online activity into a powerful surveillance tool. That’s why Mozilla is launching an urgent campaign targeting 30 key websites and services currently being used as fodder for shady surveillance tech, calling on them to:
Protect our data. Proactively detect and block surveillance tools like ShadowDragon’s SocialNet, which exploit the data we share with these websites and services.
Increase transparency. Publicly report known attempts by surveillance contractors like ShadowDragon to access user data, and what measures they have taken to stop and prevent it.
Strengthen privacy protections. Limit the exposure of our sensitive data and make privacy the default — so firms like ShadowDragon can’t easily exploit our conversations, connections, and activities online.
Sign Mozilla’s petition to demand websites and services like Etsy, Reddit, Tinder and Duolingo block ShadowDragon’s SocialNet, and protect our data from mass surveillance.
Mozilla will directly pressure 30 companies, chosen based on their size, the volume of user data they hold, the vulnerability of their users, and the value of their data to ShadowDragon — especially platforms where users share sensitive information, including personal communications, affiliations, political speech, geolocation, and immigration status. Review sites and other platforms where people express personal, emotional content are particularly at risk.
The Mozilla community is currently targeting the following websites and services:
1. Major Tech & Social Platforms
Amazon
Apple
Facebook + Instagram
Nextdoor
Snapchat
TikTok
BlueSky
2. Search, Data & Professional Networks
Github
Glassdoor
Substack
TripAdvisor
Yelp
GoFundMe
3. Entertainment, Gaming & Lifestyle
Xbox
YouTube
Twitch
Duolingo
Strava
OnlyFans
Tinder
Etsy
4. Communication, Parenting & Travel
Discord
BabyCentre
FlightAware
If you use any of these platforms, take a moment to contact them now — express your concerns and demand immediate action to protect your data from shady mass surveillance firms.
Over the coming weeks, the Mozilla community will be ramping up the pressure on these companies. Keep an eye on your inbox and Mozilla’s social media channels for next steps!
The full list of the 200+ websites monitored by ShadowDragon’s SocialNet has been released by 404 Media in this spreadsheet.
