US Government Subpoenas Reddit for User Information in ICE Officer Criticism Case

, and provide personal information about an anonymous user referred to as John Doe in court filings. The user posted information and criticisms about Jonathan Ross, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer who fatally shot Renee Good. The deadline for compliance is April 14.

This subpoena comes after DHS officials attempted to obtain the information through an administrative subpoena for more than a month, which was unsuccessful. The administrative subpoena was filed in mid-February by an ICE special agent in Fairfax, Virginia, under a statute related to tariffs. It demanded the user's name, address, telephone number, IP address, and other account details.

Background on the Subpoena Efforts Reddit notified John Doe of the initial administrative subpoena, which he described as alarming.

The Civil Liberties Defense Center represented John Doe in efforts to quash the subpoena, arguing that the statute applied only to imports and exports. John Doe submitted a sworn declaration stating that his activities and account had no connection to exporting or importing goods. DHS withdrew the administrative subpoena at the end of March.

The grand jury subpoena represents an escalation in the government's approach. Grand juries are convened by prosecutors or courts to assess evidence for potential indictments. Proceedings are conducted in secret and typically involve evidence presented by the government.

It remains unclear what specific charges, if any, the government intends to pursue or against whom.

Reddit's Response and Broader Context In a statement to The Intercept, Reddit emphasized its commitment to user privacy.

The platform stated that it does not voluntarily share information with governments, particularly regarding users criticizing the government or planning protests.

“Privacy is central to how Reddit operates, and we take our commitment to protecting that seriously. We do not voluntarily share information with any government, especially not on users exercising their rights to criticize the government or plan a protest.”

Reddit reviews all demands for legal sufficiency and objects to those that are overbroad or threaten civil rights. The company provides the minimum data required and attempts to notify users when possible. John Doe issued a statement supporting protections for user information on social media platforms.

He noted that the US and state constitutions guarantee rights to freedom of association and speech. In his view, government surveillance targeting speech and association affects civil rights. This case is part of broader government efforts to identify social media users who post criticisms of ICE or share officers' personal details.

DHS has issued hundreds of subpoenas to platforms including Google, Meta, Discord, and Reddit over several months, according to reports from The New York Times.