TechnologyFebruary 26, 2026

Big Tech and DHS: What happened with subpoenas and user data

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② Start Lesson

Key Vocabulary

subpoena/səˈpiːnə/

A legal order to give information or documents.

"The company received a subpoena from the government."

account/əˈkaʊnt/

A user profile on a website or app.

"She opened an account on the social site."

withdraw/wɪðˈdrɔː/

To take back or cancel something.

"The agency withdrew the subpoena."

Listening

Big Tech and DHS: What happened with subpoenas and user data

In early 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent administrative subpoenas to several big tech companies. The subpoenas asked for information about social media accounts that tracked or posted about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Companies such as Google, Meta, Reddit, and Discord received these requests. Some companies provided identifying details about accounts, and some notified users that the government had asked for their data. Civil rights groups like the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation urged platforms to resist broad subpoenas and protect users. In some cases, the government later withdrew subpoenas after legal challenges, and companies sometimes gave users a short window to challenge the requests in court.

112 words

Quiz

1. Who sent administrative subpoenas?

2. Which companies are listed as having received requests?

3. Which civil rights groups urged platforms to resist?

Reading Practice

Read the article from the Listening section aloud. Your AI teacher will give you pronunciation feedback.

Discussion

Do you use social media accounts to follow news or local events? How do you feel about that?

Have you ever been told some platform needed your data? What happened?

What do you think when you hear that a company gave user information to the government?