A growing number of US Department of Homeland Security employees, specifically Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, have been putting their own personal information online in plain sight. This practice, often referred to as "doxing," has not deterred these individuals despite DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's warning that revealing their identities could be a serious threat.
In reality, it appears that many of the ICE agents on social media platforms like LinkedIn have willingly provided their contact information and details about their work online. This is especially true for those who claim to be deportation officers or other types of federal employees.
One such example can be found on the internet-based wiki called ICE List, which was created by volunteers and allows users to contribute and verify information. According to an analysis conducted by Wired, nearly 90 percent of the profiles listed as belonging to ICE agents are linked to LinkedIn. Many of these agents have also posted their personal contact information or details about their work on other social media platforms.
So why is this a concern? It may seem counterintuitive that ICE agents would deliberately share their identities and contact information online, but according to DHS, exposing the personal lives of federal employees can put them in danger. In October 2022, the department released a statement citing instances of ICE officers being targeted by threats and harassment on social media.
However, a spokesperson for the OpenPayrolls website pointed out that its publicly available salary records are intended to provide transparency and accountability. The site's data is sourced from Freedom of Information Act requests, making it a public record.
On the other hand, SignalHire, a company specializing in lead generation and data brokerage, includes direct links to LinkedIn profiles of people claiming to be ICE officers on its website.
Critics argue that this approach to transparency is misguided and raises more questions than answers. It also challenges the idea of protecting personal information online as if it's truly private.
In reality, it appears that many of the ICE agents on social media platforms like LinkedIn have willingly provided their contact information and details about their work online. This is especially true for those who claim to be deportation officers or other types of federal employees.
One such example can be found on the internet-based wiki called ICE List, which was created by volunteers and allows users to contribute and verify information. According to an analysis conducted by Wired, nearly 90 percent of the profiles listed as belonging to ICE agents are linked to LinkedIn. Many of these agents have also posted their personal contact information or details about their work on other social media platforms.
So why is this a concern? It may seem counterintuitive that ICE agents would deliberately share their identities and contact information online, but according to DHS, exposing the personal lives of federal employees can put them in danger. In October 2022, the department released a statement citing instances of ICE officers being targeted by threats and harassment on social media.
However, a spokesperson for the OpenPayrolls website pointed out that its publicly available salary records are intended to provide transparency and accountability. The site's data is sourced from Freedom of Information Act requests, making it a public record.
On the other hand, SignalHire, a company specializing in lead generation and data brokerage, includes direct links to LinkedIn profiles of people claiming to be ICE officers on its website.
Critics argue that this approach to transparency is misguided and raises more questions than answers. It also challenges the idea of protecting personal information online as if it's truly private.
This is so concerning. I mean, we all know that online presence can follow you anywhere, right? And for someone in a job like an ICE agent, that's especially true. They're not just putting their jobs on the line, they're putting their families at risk too 
. And what's with the DHS Secretary saying this is a serious threat and yet still happening? It feels like more of a 'oh we should've thought of that' situation 
.
. If these ICE agents are just gonna share their contact info and details about their work anyway, it's not like they're asking for it 
. And what's the harm in having a public record of who's working where? It's all about transparency, right? 
But at the same time, I can see how this could be a security risk...like, if someone really wanted to get their info out there, they probably would anyway 
. It's all kinda murky, you know?
. I'd love to see some stats on how many of these ICE agents have actually been targeted by threats or harassment online, rather than just relying on anecdotes from DHS.
. Like, what's going on with these ICE agents?! They're basically putting out a red flag saying "Hey, I'm an ICE agent, come and get me!" 
? It's all about transparency and accountability, but what if it puts someone in danger? 
I get where the OpenPayrolls website is coming from, but come on! That's just asking for trouble.