London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 12, 2025

US Homeland Security Reportedly Eyeing Outside Firms to Monitor Extremists Online

US Homeland Security Reportedly Eyeing Outside Firms to Monitor Extremists Online

In the wake of the 2020 racial justice and protests, federal authorities came under severe scrutiny after investigators with the US Department of Homeland Security compiled intelligence reports on journalists who covered the demonstrations. Latest efforts to monitor online extremists are likely to draw backlash over increased surveillance.

Officials within the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are weighing the possibility of dispersing contracts to outside firms in an effort to further bolster government surveillance of online chatter by extremist individuals and groups.

A Monday report by CNN indicates that the move is reportedly being considered as a way to sidestep limitations placed on government surveillance, as DHS authorities are not permitted to assume false identities in order to join restricted messaging groups.

At present, authorities are only cleared to monitor unprotected information that is published online through popular social media pages Facebook, Twitter, or similarly open forums tapped by entities. In order to do more invasive digging, officials must obtain a warrant and have called an ongoing probe.

Unidentified sources revealed to the outlet that the agency’s consideration is rooted more in an effort to obtain legal access to private chats created by extremists groups, as opposed to simply trying to decrypt data. Officials say that the initiative is meant to gather information that could help officials pinpoint details regarding a potential plan.

"There was only limited awareness before January 6 of what violent extremists were planning through social media," Tom Warrick, who served as the DHS deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism policy from 2008 to 2019, told CNN, explaining that the agency would “explore whether contractors could help them understand [emerging] plots and trends” by extremists.

The CNN report also suggests that should the move be greenlighted, reports handed to the DHS would only include “broad summaries or analysis of narratives that are emerging” on monitored sites, and that reports “would not be used to target specific individuals.”

The option is also being explored by both the National Security Council and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Latest developments come on the heels of severe backlash dealt against the DHS over the department’s improper decision to collect and share open source reports that identified journalists who reported on the racial justice and police reform protests that took place in 2020, specifically those who covered the Portland protests.

Although the practice was stopped by former acting US Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, it prompted criticism and probes by the House Intelligence Committee. Separately, the agency also came under fire over failures that occurred in the days leading to the deadly Capitol riot.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
×