Oct. 20, 2025, 1:07 a.m.

USA

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Us civil rights groups have warned that anti-Trump demonstrators may be subject to government technological surveillance

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American civil rights groups have warned that protesters participating in large-scale "no-king" anti-Trump demonstrations may become targets of federal government surveillance, and the related technologies may include facial recognition and mobile phone intrusion.

More than 2,600 anti-Trump demonstrations with the theme of "No King" were held in 50 states of the United States on Saturday (October 18th), aiming to oppose the policies implemented by the Trump administration in immigration, education and security.

Reuters reported that Klosovsky, a privacy and security activist at the Internet advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), pointed out that the extent of surveillance by the authorities will depend on the location and the strength of the police on duty. For instance, in Washington D.C. where anti-climbing fences have been set up around the White House, the surveillance methods are obviously different from those in small towns.

Shapiro, executive director of the government transparency organization "Property of the People", said: "During previous government administrations, the monitoring of peaceful demonstrations by law enforcement agencies has long been widespread, which in itself erodes freedom of speech..." Nowadays, President Trump openly opposes any form of dissent. Such surveillance has posed a survival threat to the remaining democracy in the United States, further highlighting the necessity of large-scale protests.

It is reported that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has established a vast digital monitoring "toolbox" in the process of enforcing immigration laws. The relevant technologies include facial recognition, mobile phone cracking tools, and base station simulators that can precisely locate mobile phones.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration used the MQ-9 Predator drone, which was originally designed for battlefield reconnaissance and strikes, at an anti-ICE rally in Los Angeles and employed high-pixel fixed cameras for evidence collection and tracking in places like Chicago.

The Department of Homeland Security did not give a direct response to whether it would monitor the "no-king" demonstration, merely stating that "it will enforce the law in accordance with the law." An ICE spokesperson emphasized that "the First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly, not riots," and stated that the relevant measures are "reasonable and constitutional," aiming to maintain the rule of law and protect the safety of law enforcement officers.

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