"Once a Canadian tech darling, Hootsuite has been pursuing business with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the United States to provide social-media management services to the agency. According to internal documents obtained by The Globe and Mail, the Vancouver-based company has discussed monitoring conversations and sentiment on social media related to ICE, also known as "social listening," including about the agency's operations in specific cities."
"In September, Hootsuite landed a US$95,000 pilot project with ICE, which stems from existing work with Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security. The scope of Hootsuite's work with ICE and CBP is not clear. More than five years ago, Hootsuite backtracked on a contract with ICE after widespread employee backlash. At the time, then-CEO Tom Keiser said the deal had "created a divided company, and this is not the kind of company I came to lead.""
Hootsuite has pursued work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide social-media management and monitoring services, including tracking conversations and sentiment related to the agency and its operations in specific cities. The company secured a US$95,000 pilot project in September tied to prior work with Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security, though the precise scope remains unclear. Hootsuite previously abandoned an ICE contract after widespread employee backlash more than five years ago. CEO Irina Novoselsky defended the current deal contingent on ICE adhering to Hootsuite's terms of service, which bar law enforcement surveillance and tracking. Federal officials are drafting a plan to ban social media for children under 14 as part of an online-harms bill.
Read at The Globe and Mail
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