Recent security items for activists: Texas police and commercial surveillance company caught in a lie, courts block Meta from selling out their users to ICE, Wired continues their on-the-nose anti-surveillance recommendations, and some tips for legal support and self care.
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Texas police track someone seeking an abortion outside the state using a private company’s license plate reading tech
The Johnson County Texas Sheriff’s office used its access to the Flock commercial license plate database to track someone seeking an abortion across state lines and lied about why they were doing it. 404 Media broke the story (alternate link here). Flock Safety, a private company, runs a network of cameras across the United States which record license plates of passing vehicles. This technology is known as an Automated License Plate Reader system, or ALPR. Flock and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) claimed that sheriff deputies used the system to track an individual as she traveled outside of Texas as they were searching for her as a “missing person.” However, documents obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) clearly show that JCSO initially accessed the nationwide Flock database as part of a “death investigation” and considered pressing charges on the woman. This is the most clear case to date that I’m aware of which demonstrates the potential for extrajudicial abuse of ALPR technology. We’d all do well to consider license plate readers as a possible concern when we’re using our cars to travel to a protest, action, or sensitive location. There are clear indications that Customs and Border Patrol has, or at least had, access to Flock systems. There are also reports that ICE agents, in at least one instance, used a local law enforcement officer’s login credentials to access Flock databases after Flock shut down CBP’s access through a pilot program.
Courts rule that Meta may not share the identities of Instagram users who unmasked ICE agents
Two California courts ruled that Meta (Facebook and Instagram’s parent company) may not turn over information about the owners of Instagram accounts to ICE. These accounts were part of a concerted effort to publicly identify specific ICE officers who participated in immigration raids in Los Angeles. These rulings are temporary and it remains to be seen what will happen as they (or if they) work their way through the courts. This is a good reminder for all of us that social media giants like Meta collect significant information about their users including names, emails, phone numbers, “friend” connections, online activity, IP addresses, and much more. When we use social media for advocacy, we must keep in mind that information may become readily available to law enforcement. The plaintiffs in these cases had only 10 days to file a lawsuit to prevent Meta from turning over their information to ICE. Some of the plaintiffs never received that notification at all. It’s very possible that we’ll soon reach a point where social media companies simply hand over data with no process whatsoever.
Wired publishes digital security guide
Wired continues its hard-hitting coverage of the impact that digital surveillance has on marginalized communities with a comprehensive digital security guide. Their article talks about end-to-end encrypted chat apps, social media privacy, device encryption, cloud storage security, and much more. This article, and Wired’s reporting generally, is an excellent resource for activists learning to protect themselves.
An important part of an effective personal security mindset is an ongoing investment in self-care
Michelle Ward is a mental health therapist providing Hope & Resiliency workshops to her local Clifton VA community to help us get through these uncertain times. Her Substack post Radical Self-Care During Turbulent Times walks us through the principles of Radical Self-Care, and she also emphasizes that caring for ourselves has a ripple effect: we inspire those around us to care for themselves, and we’re able to show up more effectively and fully for others when we’re caring for ourselves.
National Lawyer’s Guild is here for Activists
If you’ve ever been at a protest and seen someone wearing a florescent green hat with the words LEGAL OBSERVER, you’ve benefited from the work done by the National Lawyer’s Guild. Since 1937 the NLG “has acted as the legal arm of social movements and the conscience of the legal profession.” They have been involved in every major progressive movement for over 80 years. The Legal Observer and Mass Defense programs are just two facet of their many efforts. In this era of heightened federal repression both at protests and on our streets at large, activists and citizens generally should know how to get in touch with their local NLG chapter. The DC chapter, for example, has resources for protesters on their homepage and is very active in legal Mass Defense efforts. Hat tip to Margaret Killjoy’s podcast “Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff” and her two episodes on NLG in July 2025.
And now for some organizational news
The Institute for Secure Activism received our determination letter from the IRS… we’re now an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization! In celebration the “Donate Now” button is now active on our website. Your donations are now tax deductible, and every single dollar you give supports our time, effort, materials, and other expenses to further our mission: promoting personal security for activists, advocates, and the organizations that support them. Please consider making a recurring or even a one-time donation. Every dollar helps!
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