US Government's Use of AI for Surveillance Raises Human Rights Concerns

Rights group says US authorities using AI to surveil pro-Palestinian protesters

Amnesty International accused US authorities on Wednesday of using Palantir and Babel Street AI tools to surveil immigrants and target non-citizens at pro-Palestinian protests. The rights group said a review of public records shows the software enables mass surveillance to assess and single out foreign nationals. Amnesty International on Wednesday accused US authorities of using artificial intelligence tools from Palantir and Babel Street to monitor immigrants and target non-citizens at demonstrations supporting Palestinians. A review of documents, including Department of Homeland Security public records, showed that software provided by the AI firms enables mass surveillance and assessment of people, often to target those not from the United States, according to Amnesty International. "The US government is deploying invasive AI-powered technologies within a context of a mass deportation agenda and crackdown on pro-Palestine expression, leading to a host of human rights violations," said Erika Guevara-Rosas of the rights group. "This has led to a pattern of unlawful detentions and mass deportations, creating a climate of fear and exacerbating the 'chilling effect' for migrant communities and for international students across schools and campuses." Amnesty research determined the United States is using the AI tools to track migrants, refugees and asylum seekers as part of a "Catch and Revoke" initiative. The State Department initiative involves social media monitoring, visa status tracking, and automated threat assessments of visa holders such as foreign students, according to Amnesty. Read moreMahmoud Khalil sues Trump administration for $20 million over detention "Systems like Babel X and Immigration OS (from Palantir) play a key role in the US administration's ability to carry out its repressive tactics," said Guevara-Rosas. "Unless Palantir and Babel Street can demonstrate they can use their leverage as suppliers to improve the serious human rights consequences borne by the policies of their clients, these companies should immediately cease their work with the US administration related to immigration enforcement." Use of the AI surveillance tools risks fueling US President Donald Trump's capacity to "deport marginalized people on a whim," Amnesty argued. Since being sworn in for a second term in January, Trump has targeted top US universities over claims they are politically biased towards "woke" politics and has charged -- without evidence -- that they have engaged in antisemitic policies. The administration has characterised widespread campus protests and sit-ins in the United States calling for an end to Israel's war in Gaza as being "antisemitic," and moved to expel foreign students and professors who took part in them. Trump has made the question of student protest, particularly by foreign scholars, a flashpoint political issue.

Amnesty International pans Trump govt's AI use to deport migrants

New York, United States, Aug 20 (EFE).- The Trump administration is using artificial intelligence (AI) to track and surveil immigrants in general, but especially refugees, asylum-seekers, and those who publicly demonstrate in defense of Palestinian rights, Amnesty International warned in a report Wednesday. According to the global human rights organization, the use of these new technologies poses a "risk" to individuals fitting these profiles and could ultimately lead to their deportation. Amnesty International said an AI tool from Babel Street, called Babel X, and another from Palantir (Immigration OS) play "a crucial role" in the ability of authorities to identify people, their behaviors - including on social media - and their movements more quickly and on a larger scale to determine if their visas should be revoked. "The coercive AI-facilitated 'Seize and Revoke' initiative threatens to exacerbate arbitrary and unlawful visa revocations, deportations, and violations of a host of human rights," said Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International's Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, in a statement. The 'Seize and Revoke' initiative, launched by the State Department, monitors social media to find "foreign nationals who appear to support Hamas or other recognized terrorist groups" and cancel their visas, according to the nonpartisan and independent Brennan Center. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has used Babel X since at least 2019 and can collect enormous amounts of a person's data, according to the Amnesty International report. Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has used Palantir's Integrated Case Management system since 2014 and now uses its new version, Immigration OS, which streamlines the process of selecting and apprehending individuals and monitoring self-deportation in real-time. According to Amnesty International, Immigration OS automates a process that is "already deeply flawed and lacking in accountability, with a track record of disregarding due process and human rights." The report also shows the government's repressive tactics and summary revocation of immigration status demonstrate "an utter disregard" for human rights, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly. Amnesty International also asserts that these actions constitute a clear violation of the right to equality and non-discrimination, "with people on visas and refugees explicitly targeted by AI-powered systems." "This has led to a pattern of unlawful detentions and mass deportations, created a climate of fear, and compounded the 'chilling effect' for migrant communities and international students," the report elaborated. In July, Amnesty International contacted Palantir and Babel Street regarding the report. Only Palantir responded, asserting that its product was not used to advance the government's 'Seize and Revoke' initiative and that they do not violate the rights of migrants. Amnesty notes, however, that Palantir and Babel Street could have reasonably foreseen the risk of causing harm to the migrant population and supporters of the Palestinian cause, and should have reconsidered linking their AI programs with the Trump administration. EFE