Google, Meta and other tech companies resist ICE demands for user data

Major technology firms, such as Google and Meta, are reportedly defying the Trump administration's efforts to obtain user data, as federal immigration authorities intensify their use of subpoenas to track online critics, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. These tech companies are delaying responses, contesting expansive government requests, and enhancing user notification policies, as they brace for potential congressional investigations by Democrats following the upcoming midterm elections.

Privacy concerns from their own employees and the administration's relationship are factors they must balance.

Lawmakers have been pushing these companies to clarify why sensitive customer information has been handed over to federal authorities. Rep. Shri Thanedar, who initiated a probe into tech compliance earlier this year, emphasized that they must be prepared to answer under oath about their actions.

ICE, a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been monitoring platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, TikTok, and X, which it deems threats to agents or enforcement activities. To obtain user records, federal authorities rely heavily on administrative subpoenas, which are written and approved directly by ICE officials without prior judicial review.

This approach, seen by former officials from both major political parties as a significant shift from standard procedure, has been widely utilized.

According to the report, Google received about 28,600 US government subpoenas between January and June 2025, similar numbers through the end of that year. Meta reported complying with at least some data requests in 88.8% of the US government requests it received between July and December of the previous year.

In response to the mounting pressure, both tech giants' executives have privately expressed concerns over the exposure they face. Meta's leadership is assessing vulnerabilities to Democratic oversight if congressional control shifts hands, while Google's leadership has weighed similar concerns and fears that resistance may lead to administrative retaliation, such as further scrutiny of its pending federal antitrust cases.

Google highlighted its operational safeguards, stating that they are designed to protect customer privacy while complying with legal requirements, emphasizing their commitment to rejecting overbroad demands.

Federal authorities have maintained that their actions comply with the law. An ICE spokesperson stated that operations are conducted "in accordance with applicable law and policy."