US federal agents disproportionately monitor left-wing protesters on social media

Hundreds of emails and documents obtained in response to a freedom of information request by BuzzFeed News show that US federal agents monitored social media for information on planned Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Minneapolis, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and other cities. Researchers and activists (such as EFF) warned that technology-driven surveillance of protesters could set a dangerous precedent and chill assembly and speech, particularly in the case of Black Lives Matter. The documents showed less effort to track members of the right-wing extremist group "boogaloo boys" than to monitor online protest networks.

https://www.newsweek.com/documents-fed-surveillance-blm-protests-spark-privacy-concerns-1525372 SOCMINT

Writer: Chantal da Silva

Publication: Newsweek