US Border Agency’s Data Broker Deal Masks Spy Tools, Critics Say

US Customs and Border Protection is paying data broker LexisNexis Special Services Inc. for access to a powerful suite of surveillance tools, according to public records. Critics say CBP is using the contract to hide the agency’s full ability to monitor immigrants and others in the US.

The nearly $16 million, five-year contract provides access to social media monitoring, web data such as email addresses and IP address locations, real-time jail booking data, facial recognition services, and cellphone geolocation data analysis tools.

“They’re hiding their capabilities in some ways from transparency for the law enforcement agencies,” said Julie Mao, ...